Magnetism
by Not Enough Answers
Summary: Batman/Catwoman, AU post TDK. Initially, each thought the other was nothing but a nuisance. However, the end result would be much more than either of them bargained for. NOW ABANDONED.
1. I

**Hello! Because of all the recent hype and speculation about _The Dark Knight Rises_, I was inspired to write a BatCat fanfic of my own. I've always been fascinated by their relationship in the comics and I'm interested to see Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Catwoman. This is in no way meant to be my interpretation of TDKR-Bane will not appear, but the Joker will definitely play a part later on. I'm just playing around with the Nolanverse and having a little bit of fun with its characters. **

**Also, Catwoman won't be portrayed exactly how she is in the comics. There will be some characteristics and aspects of her personality from the comics, but I've made her largely my own and tried to make her more human and realistic. This particular universe calls for a particular type of character, and I hope I'll be able to do justice to that. **

**The romance will contain several unexpected twists and turns as well. I have a few tricks up my sleeve! :D**

**With that out of the way, here's the prologue. I hope you guys enjoy! It takes place about a month after TDK. Batman is currently a fugitive, but there are still reported sightings of him every now and then. This is Catwoman's first "official" night out in Gotham.**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own anything recognizable.**

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><p>She was ready to strike.<p>

Crouched low on the rooftop, the dark figure crept along the edge of the building, unnoticed by the two men who were currently immersed in a drug deal. Far below them, the streets of Gotham City pulsed and shone with life.

The figure stopped when she was directly behind one of the men. The pale light of the moon illuminated her sleek black suit and the whip she carried in her right hand. She lifted up one arm.

But before she could lash out at them, another dark shape appeared beside her. Quick as a flash, it forced her arm down and pried the whip out of her hand. Enraged, she lunged at the intruding figure. She hadn't taken all those years of martial arts for nothing.

But the newcomer was much larger and stronger than she was. He pinned her arms behind her back and she lost her balance, falling to the ground. She barely had time to give a cry of indignation before the huge figure was upon the two men. Their eyes widened in terror as it knocked them both to the ground. Needles and bottles scattered everywhere.

"Get out of here," the hulking figure growled as he effectively slammed one of the men's faces into the gravel.

"No," she shot back. She wasn't about to be outdone by Batman. While he was busy with the first man, she jumped lithely to her feet and leapt onto the second man. He had fainted, tongue lolling back into his head.

Barely a second after she reached him, she was yanked forward by an invisible force. She glared angrily at Batman, who appeared so large he blocked out the light of the moon. "I got to them first," she protested. "They're mine."

"But I was here first," Batman replied. In an instant, he was gone. The two men had also disappeared, leaving her standing alone on the rooftop.

She allowed herself a smirk, adrenaline still pounding through her veins. He thought she was trying to _help_ him. He didn't know that she wanted to do the exact opposite. Well, it looked like she would have to fix that. When she became a household name, Batman wouldn't be so quick to let her escape.

The villain who called herself Catwoman took two strides and leapt to the next rooftop, pocketing the second man's wallet as she did.


	2. II

**Here's the rather long first chapter. **

**NOTE: I do not own any part of the article that Selina reads or claim to have written it. I got it from the online version of **_**The Gotham Times**_** (yes, there is one online).**

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><p>Twenty-nine-year-old Selina Kyle woke up late the next morning. The night out had cost her: she had deep purple circles under her eyes and her limbs ached. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop had been exhilarating but exhausting.<p>

She stumbled to the bathroom and washed her face, wincing when she saw a bruise beginning to form just under her left eye. Catwoman's first night in Gotham hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped. It was all Batman's fault; if he hadn't shown up she would have surely made the newspaper. The wallet she had stolen had barely a hundred dollars in it. The police didn't care if a wallet went missing. Valuables, on the other hand…

Well, at least she had seen Batman. She certainly hadn't expected _that. _He was so rarely spotted anymore there was speculation on whether he was still around at all. After the Joker had been sent to Arkham Asylum and Batman had been convicted for the murder of Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight had all but disappeared. Selina knew she had been extremely lucky to see him.

When she came out of the bathroom, the smell of pancakes assailed her nose. She wandered into the kitchen, where her roommate Holly Robinson was bent over the sink furiously scrubbing out a pan. "What's the occasion?" Selina asked in confusion. Holly never cooked if she could help it.

"I got a brand-new client last night!" Holly sing-songed. "He gave me a tip that'll last us for a week."

Selina groaned. "You have _got _to stop doing this."

"Why? It's good money," her friend challenged. "You can't say you don't want more money."

"But there are more tasteful ways of acquiring it." Selina grabbed a pancake and popped it into her mouth. She tried to ignore the horribly burnt taste.

Holly snorted. "You're one to talk. Catwoman ring a bell?"

"Thievery _is _far more tasteful than prostitution," Selina replied. "Besides…I'm better at my job." She laughed as Holly threw a half-cooked pancake at her.

The two women had met just over a year ago in Paris and were best friends from the start. On her way back from a museum robbery, Selina found Holly on the street. She'd been drawn to the young woman, who was three years her junior, and quickly took her under her wing. At the time, Selina was living in an expensive apartment in the richest part of Paris. Her numerous bank robberies and the subsequent selling of priceless artifacts she'd stolen had given her a comfortable life. Selina trained Holly in martial arts, gymnastics, stealth, and thievery. However, when she took Holly on one of her bank heists, the other woman had chickened out and announced she just wasn't cut out to be a burglar. With no formal education and no natural abilities, Holly had resorted back to her previous job as a prostitute. Selina had been disapproving but grudgingly allowed her to do so. Even though they had more than enough money to support themselves, Holly seemed to take a sick sort of pleasure in selling herself. Selina liked her very much, but she was a lost hope.

When they had gotten bored of Paris Holly suggested moving somewhere else. Selina had spent months researching cities that would benefit from having a world-class thief. She had finally settled on Gotham City, her hometown. Gotham had never been classy to begin with—so many criminals dwelled there that it took a special kind of evil to be noticed. Determined to make a name for herself, Selina moved to Gotham thirty days ago with Holly tagging along. The notorious Joker was sent to Arkham a month and a half before they arrived. It was about time for a new kind of excitement. Selina had even made a new costume for herself in honor of the occasion. Holly commented that she resembled a cat wearing it. Selina had gone with the idea and dubbed herself "Catwoman". (She had a special fondness for the animals, owning two herself. Isis and Nyx were like children to her.)

Alas, last night hadn't been the grand debut she had hoped for. All she'd done was steal one man's insignificant wallet. Sooner or later, Batman would realize that she was a foe, not a friend. As if Gotham needed one more Batman wannabe! Selina shook her head at the very thought.

"Anyway," Holly was saying as she took a bite of pancake, "He wants me to go back to his house today. He's a very rich man, you know."

"What's his name?" Selina asked, trying to inject as much distaste into her voice as she could.

"Thomas Elliot. He's a surgeon," Holly said excitedly. "He lives in a huge house all by himself, so it's no surprise he needs a bit of company every now and then."

"He lives _completely_ alone?"

Holly rolled her eyes. "Don't get any ideas, Selina. I doubt even you would be able to get past his security system."

"Challenge accepted," she replied, discreetly sneaking the last bit of pancake to a hungry Nyx.

"Speaking of challenges, how was your night?" asked Holly. "I didn't get home until nearly seven this morning."

"It was nothing special," Selina shrugged. "We're a hundred dollars richer, but things would have turned out a lot better if Batman hadn't showed up to save the day."

Holly's eyes widened. "You saw _Batman_?"

"Yes. He's a lot more intimidating in real life, but he's far from scaring me off." Selina recalled the adrenaline rush and the exciting threat of danger that he had brought. She hadn't felt anything similar in a long time.

"You should have tried to catch him," Holly chastised. "You'd be famous."

Selina snorted. "Me, capture Batman? Yeah, everything would be fine right up until the point someone asks me why I'm dressed in a cat suit."

"But think of all the _money_…" Holly said mournfully.

"In case you haven't noticed, we live in one of the most expensive penthouses in Gotham," Selina answered sternly. "We don't need a police reward."

It was true. She didn't care about the money itself: she loved the value it had and the measures it took to get people to part with it. Stealing money and expensive items from those that didn't deserve them was where she got her thrills.

Holly looked disappointed. "Fine. So are you only going to go out in the daytime when Batman's not around?"

Selina shook her head. "It's too conspicuous. Besides, in a city of thirty million, the chances aren't likely we'll run into each other again." She yawned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I need a shower. Those roofs were filthy."

"Good luck tonight, then, _Catwoman_," Holly teased, bending over to cuddle Isis. "Maybe you'll manage to rob a convenience store." She shrieked as Selina playfully dove at her. Holly might be better than most at fighting, but she was no match for her best friend.

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><p>When the apartment was quiet again, Selina took a long shower and curled up on the couch with her cats. In the thirty days she had been back in Gotham, she was already bored stiff. She needed an actual, honest day job so as not to raise suspicion. It was a good thing she'd made a fake resume the year before.<p>

After a few minutes of pondering, Selina had an idea. There was a jewelry store looking to hire just around the corner from the penthouse. Some of the pieces were bound to be worth millions. She grinned, a thousand different plans taking form in her mind. Her two weaknesses were cats and jewels.

Excited, she leapt off the couch and headed to the front door. She would put in her application that very day. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

* * *

><p>A few snowflakes were swirling around outside. Selina buttoned her jacket all the way to her chin and shivered. It was late November and Gotham was infamous for having the coldest winters on the eastern coast. She wasn't used to temperatures being below freezing; she preferred to stay in warmer climates.<p>

Jade's Jewels was a small, independent shop, but it was the most popular jewelry store in Gotham. Selina vaguely remembered walking past it as a child and staring longingly at the glittering diamonds and rubies in the front display, wishing she could have a necklace or bracelet. But that had never happened: her family had been far too poor to even consider buying jewelry. She supposed she could afford it now, but she would wait for a while. If there was one thing Selina had learned, it was the art of patience.

Surprisingly, the store was almost deserted. A few women dressed in fur coats and gloves were browsing the glass cases and speaking quietly to each other. Selina felt an itch as soon as she glanced at a pair of emerald earrings, but forced herself to look away. She wouldn't steal to fulfill her desires just yet.

A crabby-looking middle-aged lady sat behind the receptionist's desk. Selina plastered a smile on her face and went over. "Hello," she said. "My name is Selina Kyle, and I'm here about the job advertisement in the front window—"

"Resume?" the woman asked, looking bored. Forcing herself to stay polite, Selina pulled her application out of her bag and handed it to her. The woman glanced over it for barely a minute before handing it back. "I'll go get the owner," she said. "She'll want an interview."

Selina nodded and watched the receptionist disappear into the back room. She could certainly do a better job than _her. _

The doorbell tinkled and she automatically turned around to see who the newcomers were. A beautiful, exotic-looking woman with a smug smile on her face was holding hands with a tall, handsome dark-haired man.

"Oh, look at that one!" the woman gushed in a thick accent, pointing at a ring with a sapphire the size of a rock. "Isn't it wonderful, Bruce?"

Selina could tell her companion wasn't paying attention in the least. "Pardon?" he asked, then seemed to realize what she was talking about. "Oh yes, it is wonderful."

"And this one too!" said the woman. "Do you like any of them?"

"They're all nice," Bruce assured her, but Selina doubted he was being truthful.

At that moment, the grouchy receptionist reappeared, followed by an elderly woman with a kind smile. "Mr. Wayne!" the receptionist said, completely ignoring Selina. "What can I get for you today?"

Oh…so this was _Bruce Wayne. _Vague childhood memories began to resurface in Selina's mind. She remembered hearing the news at school that his parents had died many years ago. In fact, she'd even begged her mother to take her downtown so she could watch the funeral procession go down the street, but she'd never actually seen Bruce in person.

"Hello, Lisa," he said cordially, smiling at the receptionist. "I'm afraid we're just browsing today."

"That's fine," she replied quickly, voice sounding slightly higher-pitched than before. Bruce's apparent girlfriend noticed this and scowled, pressing closer to him. Selina refrained from rolling her eyes with great difficulty.

"How are you doing, Mr. Wayne?" the elderly woman asked. "Is the manor rebuilt yet?"

Bruce nodded. "In fact, I'm throwing a housewarming party tomorrow night. Would you like to come?" He winked at Lisa, who let out a very unladylike giggle.

"Oh, you silly boy, you must know by now that I'm far too old for these things," the elderly woman said. "I'm sure Lisa would love to go, however." She smiled at the receptionist, whose bad mood seemed to have transferred to Bruce's girlfriend.

"Let's go, Bruce," said girlfriend snapped. She tugged on his hand and he let her lead him out of the store, with barely enough time to flash a dazzling smile at Lisa and the old woman. Selina felt a twinge of annoyance.

"Sorry for that, ma'am," the old woman said. "The Waynes used to be our best customers, and I feel I should extend the same courtesy to their son, even though…" She trailed off.

"Even though what?" Selina asked.

"Nothing, nothing. He's just wild, that boy. You should read what the tabloids say about him!" She shook her head. "Anyway, I apologize for neglecting you earlier. My name is Jade and I am the owner of this shop. Lisa told me you were applying for a job."

Selina nodded. "Here's my resume," she began, but Jade shook her head.

"If Lisa approves of it, then you're hired," she said. "I'm going on vacation next week and I need someone to work my normal shifts. You can come in tomorrow and she'll show you the ropes, all right?"

Blinking in surprise at the quick answer, Selina managed to smile. "Thank you," she said truthfully. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it, dear," Jade said, placing a hand on her arm. "You seem like a trustworthy young lady."

"I am," Selina replied, but it was hardly the truth. If Jade knew who she really was and what she had done, she would be positively horrified.

After the technicalities were taken care of, Lisa gave her a tour of the shop. While Selina was examining the pieces by the door, she saw an old stack of newspapers sitting on the rack. Curious to see what Jade had meant about the tabloids, she picked one up:

_**The Awful Truth: Bruce Wayne Can't Stop Partying**_

_He parties. He womanizes. He drinks. He's rebuilding the monorail system devastated by the Narrows Attack. And he drinks some more. _

_When Wayne Enterprises announced it was repairing damaged portions of the Gotham Light Rail system at cost, it was a rare moment of good publicity for Gotham's richest scamp. But a series of photos showing Wayne drinking with a succession of tarts seems to have stifled any pro-Wayne sentiment in the city. _

_"It's almost like Nero fiddling while Rome burns," said PR guru Max Morganthau. "You have this incredible wave of crime, fear, and terror, and here's 'Little Orphan Brucie' partying the night away." _

_Bruce Wayne has always suffered in comparison to his beloved father, wealthy city philanthropist and medical doctor Thomas Wayne. Some say that Bruce is still rebelling against a dad he simply can't live up to. _

_"Bruce just doesn't want to grow up," said author and psychologist Lynda Fishman. "He's still in this kind of eternal adolescence, and he's got the money to do it." _

_Insiders have revealed to The Times that Bruce's partying may be getting in the way of his business responsibilities. _

_"Look, running Wayne Enterprises is a job for serious people," said one high-level executive. "Good looks and charm may get Bruce the girls, but you can't manage a multi-national on a wink and a refill." _

_So, if Gotham's poor little rich boy isn't behind the company's light rail redo, who is? Many point to "Wayne's Brain", turnaround artist and long-time friend Lucius Fox. _

_"Fox is calling the tune while Wayne is paying for the drinks," said business analyst John Lavender. _

_Meanwhile, what looked like an easy public relations coup is turning much messier. The Gotham Light Rail fix-it project has fallen behind schedule, and the residents of the Narrows are beginning to turn their anger against what they see as the out-of-touch executives at Wayne Enterprises. _

_"If Bruce Wayne thought the monorail repair job was the silver bullet to repair his image, he is sorely mistaken," said socialite and philanthropist Mildred Peerston. "You can ruin a reputation in an instant, but it's not so easy to build it back up."_

Well, if what she had just read was anything to go by, the tabloids were correct. Selina tossed the newspaper aside and left the store, feeling a sudden jolt of excitement. She would go out again tonight, and soon _she _would be the one to make the front page of the tabloids, not that wannabe Bruce Wayne.

Maybe she would even see Batman. No matter what transpired during _that _meeting, it would be exciting, to say the least. Selina allowed herself a smug smile, feeling like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.

After all, she _was _Catwoman.


	3. III

**I hope I wrote this chapter acceptably. I originally wanted to split it in two, but couldn't find an appropriate place. So...here's the entire thing.**

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><p>He found her again that night.<p>

Selina wasn't sure how he did it, much less why. In a city like Gotham, there were bound to be far worse things to worry about than a mere cat burglar. She slipped the gun and wad of bills she had just stolen from a corrupt police officer into her pocket and turned to face Batman, brandishing her whip.

"Why are you following me?" she called in the faux Russian accent that she had chosen for Catwoman.

Batman's mouth was a grim line as he started towards her. "Why are you here?" he countered.

Selina shrugged, feeling playful. "You wouldn't understand my motivations, _Batman_," she purred. "I'm not a criminal, but I'm not on your side either. I prefer to think of myself as neutral."

"You stole from that officer," Batman replied. "You are a criminal."

"Oh, but is stealing things from people who don't deserve them criminal?" Selina asked. "After all, _you're_ in no position to talk. Need I say more?"

She saw the attack coming before most would have. Selina dodged him, laughing out loud. This was just what she needed—a toy. But that didn't mean he didn't annoy her. She would gladly have explained her side of the story, but Batman didn't seem to be in the mood for talking. She dodged his lunges and he effortlessly blocked her punches.

It would have seemed to an outsider as if they were dancing—jumping and spinning and lunging. Selina hadn't felt this alive in a long time. She wondered how much of a challenge she presented to Batman—if he'd wanted to, he could certainly punch her or beat her to a pulp right there on the asphalt. But he never attempted it. Selina was mildly surprised by this, but delighted all the same.

She was lighter and more agile, however—her balance was as good as a cat's and even though Batman could beat her physically, it would be an enormous feat to try to catch her. Many times, Selina found herself balancing precariously on the end of a ledge, but she always managed to right herself. She'd been a talented gymnast when she was younger.

Finally, Selina decided to make her escape. It was obvious neither of them had the upper hand tonight, and she could tell Batman was surprised at his inability to corner her. Yet again, she ducked under his arm in a somersault and quickly got back on her feet, jumping onto the railing. "See you around, Batman," she finally called, waving her fingers at him. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on."

With that, she dropped to the balcony below, using her retractable claws to grip the metal. Selina took a shortcut through an alleyway and soon found herself back at her apartment, feeling energized. Batman was more fun than she'd expected. Selina had never met anyone who could match her abilities. It looked like she'd made a wise decision to move back to Gotham after all.

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><p>The next morning, there was an article on the front page of the newspaper entitled "<strong>BATMAN OFFICIALLY BACK IN GOTHAM<strong>", with a picture of the Caped Crusader himself kneeling on the edge of a rooftop. Selina scanned the article, but it gave no mention of Catwoman. Perhaps the press hadn't noticed her?

Holly patted her on the back reassuringly. "You'll get your fifteen minutes of fame someday," she teased.

Selina looked up and noticed she was already fully dressed. This was so unusual she frowned. "Where are you going so early?"

"To Thomas's," replied her friend, smiling widely. "He's hired me on full-time, I guess you could say. This means I won't have to stand out on the street for a long while!"

"Wow, you really _must_ be good," Selina muttered. "I should have gotten some tips from you."

"What?"

"Nothing," she lied. Holly didn't know anything about Selina's past other than the fact that she had moved away from Gotham when she was eighteen. Selina knew she would have to eventually tell Holly everything…when it was time.

After her friend had left, Selina changed into her work uniform and headed to the jewelry store for her first shift. She hoped Lisa was in a better mood today since she was supposedly going to Bruce Wayne's party.

Luckily, the receptionist seemed to have warmed slightly towards her. She instructed Selina on what to do and even offered to help if she needed it. To her surprise, Selina found she didn't mind the tedious job of polishing the jewelry and arranging it in the displays. Lisa dealt with the customers, saying that she and Selina could switch jobs every other week.

The eight hours seemed to positively fly by, and by the time she got back to the apartment Selina was feeling considerably happier. The job wasn't much, but at least it staved off her boredom.

Holly was already back and waiting for her. "I have the greatest news!" she squealed.

"What, did they catch Batman?"

"Thomas invited me to Bruce Wayne's party!" Holly was practically jumping up and down.

Selina nearly tripped over her two cats clamoring for attention. "He must really like you, then."

Holly snickered at her momentary display of clumsiness before saying, "I think he does. None of my clients have ever treated me this way before."

Thoughtfully, Selina rested her chin on her hand and observed her younger friend. Like herself, Holly hadn't had a pleasant childhood. She'd been born in the slums of New York City and first became a prostitute at the age of thirteen after her parents died. Holly had quickly become well-known and her pimps would bring her to different countries to show her off. She ultimately ended up in Paris where Selina had found her.

Now, living in Gotham, Holly worked independently and was getting more business than she'd ever had. Selina knew that many other women would have given up on life after leading such a horrible existence, but not Holly. She still remained as eager and excitable as she'd probably been at thirteen. Selina often wondered if this was because prostitution was so normal for her by now she had lost part of her conscience and simply didn't see the dark side of what she was doing. At any rate, Holly had no idea how similar their pasts really were.

While Selina was lost in thought, Holly had continued chattering. It was only when she'd stopped talking that Selina blinked and looked up. "What were you saying?" she asked.

This didn't annoy Holly, who looked like she'd be happy to relay the information several times over. "I told Thomas about you and he said you're welcome to come along. He's sure Bruce wouldn't mind another woman at the party."

Selina's hopes of seeing Batman that night vanished. "You know I'll hate most of the people there, right? Rich, snobby, stuck-up pricks who probably haven't even been outside in their life—"

"We're not exactly poor, either, as you keep telling me," Holly reminded her.

"Yes, but I had to _work_ for this." Selina gestured to the walls around them. "I lived on the street for years, learning how to steal and provide for myself. People like Wayne were born into their riches and have no idea what it's like to be _nothing_."

Holly looked taken aback. "Yes, but at least you have _something_ now. Come on, Selina, please? I don't know how to act around rich people either. Maybe it'll even be fun."

Selina groaned, knowing Holly's powers of persuasion were far greater than her own. "I'll just hope Bruce Wayne is one to display his wealth in plain sight, then."

"That's the spirit," Holly encouraged. "Just think—no one will have any idea that a hooker and a thief are in the same room as them. It will be a blast."

Selina couldn't help but smile. "All right. But I'm driving."

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><p>They spent the next three hours getting ready for the party. Selina curled her hair and pulled half of it up into an elegant bun, leaving the rest to spill around her face. For the first time in five years, she unearthed the slinky black dress she had often worn when she was living in London. With it came bittersweet and painful memories, but Selina pulled it on anyway—it was the closest she had to formal clothing. Her only pair of high heels happened to be black as well. She felt as if she was going to a funeral when she finally stepped out of her room.<p>

Holly was dressed in a striking red number and her hair fell freely down her back. They looked an odd pair: Selina tall and dark-haired, Holly petite and blonde.

"You look gorgeous," she gushed, eyes widening at Selina's dress. "I didn't know you owned anything that—short."

"I'm full of surprises," Selina said wryly. "Now, let's go get this over with."

She would never admit it out loud, but she felt almost relieved to have an acceptable car for the occasion. Holly had insisted on buying an upscale model, so they had eventually come to a compromise. A Mercedes was inconspicuous enough so that it wouldn't turn heads, but noticeable enough so that it wouldn't look out of place at the party.

Selina had never been to Wayne Manor before, but in her opinion it didn't look like a house that had burned down nearly a year before. It looked like an old mansion that had been standing for decades; she had to admire the workers who rebuilt it.

"Bruce Wayne is very lucky. Thomas said he got drunk at a party and told the guests to leave before he burned the whole place down," Holly said in a tone of disbelief mixed with slight awe. "It's unbelievable."

Selina would have used a different word to describe the incident, but she kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't look good if Holly accidentally blurted something embarrassing in front of Thomas Elliot and fifty other curious people.

She parked the Mercedes behind a much more expensive Ferrari and they got out of the car, listening to the low roar of talking and the distant beat of music coming from inside the mansion.

"Thomas told me to be quiet and only speak when I'm spoken to," said Holly. "He says he'll take care of everything."

She seemed to be using his name in every other sentence now. Selina glanced over at her, concerned, but she only smiled happily in anticipation of seeing him. This wasn't at all like her. Normally Holly liked to keep things impersonal with her clients.

The grand front doors swung open and an old man with an English accent greeted them. "Good evening and welcome to the new and improved Wayne Manor. My name is Alfred. I presume you are part of the pack of models that Master Wayne invited?"

"Um…no," Holly stammered. "Actually, my…the person I'm seeing right now invited both of us to the party. He said Bruce wouldn't mind two more women here."

Alfred's lips twitched. "I'm sure he wouldn't, but who is this mystery guest that invited you?"

"Thomas Elliot," said Holly. "Apparently he and Bruce have been friends since childhood."

"So they have," Alfred said. He moved aside to let them in, but a loud roar made them turn and they paused to see a sleek black car pull to a screeching halt in front of the manor. The driver's door opened and Bruce Wayne, dressed in an expensive tuxedo, stepped out with three women who looked as if they'd just finished posing for _Playboy. _Selina noticed the model she saw him with the previous day was nowhere to be seen.

"I do believe you've outdone yourself this time, sir," the butler said as Bruce sauntered up the steps toward them.

"I can't help it if everyone wants a piece of me, Alfred," Bruce shrugged. His eyes fell on Selina and she saw recognition in his face. "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" he asked. "You look very familiar."

"I was at the jewelry store yesterday," she said.

Bruce nodded. "Yes, that was it. And you," he turned to Holly, "must be Tommy's new girl. He told me he was going to invite both of you. And let me say, he certainly didn't do too badly!" He smiled at Holly, who looked rather startled.

"Come on, Bruce! Let's go inside!" one of the models said, tugging on his hand.

He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Whatever you say, Jessica."

"It's Justine!"

He didn't even look embarrassed. "Justine." The four of them headed on inside.

There was a short pause and Holly said, "Well, he's certainly…charming."

Alfred laughed. "May I escort you to the ballroom?" he asked.

"It's a dance?" Selina asked, dismayed. She glared at Holly. "You didn't tell me I had to dance!"

"Come on, Selina. You can dance perfectly well," her friend replied. "Anyway, it's too late to back out now."

Alfred led them down a cavernous hallway and up several flights of stairs until they got to an enormous room with an arched ceiling and a balcony at one end. Men and women clad in over-the-top dresses and suits were dancing to a live band that was playing at the head of the room. Selina's eyebrows shot up, impressed in spite of herself. Bruce Wayne certainly enjoyed spending his money.

"Enjoy yourselves," Alfred said. Holly assured him they would and suddenly grabbed Selina's arm, pulling her over to a small table. A tall blond man with square features sat alone, drinking a can of beer.

"Thomas," she said, bending over to kiss the man lightly.

He pulled Holly onto his lap and looked up at Selina. "This must be your roommate?"

"Yes," Holly nodded. "Thomas, this is Selina Kyle, my best friend. Selina, this is Thomas Elliot…well, you know who he is."

"I do." Selina shook Thomas's hand, but she couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling she had when she looked at him. His smile was wide, but his eyes were devoid of any emotion.

They chatted for several minutes about insignificant things before Holly and Thomas got up to dance. Selina was left alone at the table, feeling trapped. She didn't want to be here with all the phony rich families, dancing and smiling through her teeth while pretending she was having a good time. She wanted to be running across rooftops and stealing priceless items from mob dealers. She wanted to tease Batman some more.

The night slowly wore on, and with it her temper. Holly had completely abandoned her to be with Thomas, and even though she was asked to dance by multiple people, Selina refused every time. She continued sitting at the table, sipping champagne and watching Bruce Wayne dance with what looked like every female in the room. When it was Holly's turn to dance with him, Selina noticed Thomas's arms were crossed and he was glaring at Bruce with what looked like more jealousy than was healthy. The two had hardly exchanged words the entire night, and Selina was willing to bet that their childhood friendship had disappeared for the most part.

When Thomas and Holly finally came back to the table, Thomas was scowling and Holly looked flushed. "Did you see me dancing with Bruce?" she asked Selina. "I never thought I would even _see _him, let alone dance with him. I remember reading in the newspapers in Paris that—"

"Speak of the devil," Selina muttered as she watched the billionaire himself walk toward them. "Your wish is granted once again, Holly."

But it wasn't Holly Bruce was looking at. This time, his easy smile was all for Selina. "I don't believe I've had a chance to speak with you yet," he said as his eyes took in her dress and hair. "Would you care to dance?"

Selina could easily have refused him, but she didn't want to spoil this night for Holly by acting like a child. So she reluctantly stood up and took his arm, trying to avoid eye contact. She would attempt to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Bruce led her to the dance floor and placed his hands on either side of her waist, spinning them around with little effort. "It's Selina Kyle, isn't it?" he asked politely.

She frowned. "How did you know?"

"I heard your friend talking to you," Bruce replied. "She must be something if she managed to catch Tommy's eye."

"Yeah, I have no idea how that happened," Selina admitted. She glanced back at Holly and Thomas, who were whispering into each other's ears and now looked like a perfectly normal couple.

Bruce laughed. "She said you just moved to Gotham. How do you like it so far?"

She had to give him credit: he spoke articulately for such an infamous playboy. Selina wondered if he was making fun of her. "I was born in Gotham, actually," she admitted. "I moved away when I was eighteen."

"I can understand why you would want to move," Bruce joked. His smile was infectious and Selina soon found herself smiling as well.

"It's not the best place in the world. I guess that's the understatement of the century," she said wryly, looking over his shoulder at the city lights twinkling in the distance.

"But you came back." Bruce looked genuinely interested in her. Selina figured that was why hordes of women flocked to him: he was an excellent actor.

"I decided it was time to come back," she said shortly. "Besides, Holly wanted to see what it was like."

"There's certainly no shortage of excitement," he mused.

Selina thought of Batman and an involuntary grin curved across her face. "You're right about that."

She wasn't sure how long they danced, but time seemed to pass by faster than it normally did. Bruce was charismatic and easy to talk to. Selina felt herself slowly but surely warming up to him, which she found odd: she was normally cool and aloof towards men. But somehow, Bruce had a way of making her feel at ease.

They spoke about normal, everyday subjects, like traffic and the weather. Selina jokingly remarked that she felt safer living in Gotham with Batman around, and Bruce laughed loudly. "Too bad he couldn't save this house from burning down," he said dryly.

Selina shrugged. "I should think you'd be happy about it—after all, it gives you an excuse to throw more parties."

"True," Bruce agreed. "Though it seems as if my dates are happier about it than I am." Selina followed his gaze to the opposite corner of the room, where the three girls he had arrived with were curled up with a younger but just as wealthy-looking man.

"What happened to the woman from yesterday?" she asked him. "The one who was looking at the rings?"

"Oh, that was just Alandra. She's visiting the country and wanted a tour of the place." Bruce spun her around once more and Selina caught a glimpse of Holly giving her the thumbs-up. She winced and pretended twenty people hadn't witnessed it.

When the current song ended, Bruce finally let her go. Selina stepped back, feeling as flushed as Holly had been. She had enjoyed the dancing more than she thought she would. And she couldn't deny Bruce Wayne was physically attractive.

"Where are you going?" he called after her as she began to walk away. "I was about to ask you if you wanted to take a seat."

Selina went back to him, raising an eyebrow. "You mean you're not sick of me yet? You still have at least ten women in the room to dance with."

"Yes, but you're the most interesting one I've talked to tonight." Bruce pulled out a chair for her. "I was worried when you started to walk away. Was my dancing really that bad?"

"No, it wasn't," she assured him. "I've danced with worse, believe me."

The waiter came over and handed them both glasses of wine. Selina took hers gratefully, but she couldn't help noticing Bruce put his down right away. "So, Miss Kyle, what do you do for a living?" he asked her.

_I steal. Cheat people out of large sums of money. Fight Batman. _"As of today, I work at Jade's Jewels," Selina replied. "It seems like it will be an interesting job."

"You like jewelry, then?"

"I can't resist it," Selina said. She'd already drunk almost half of her wine, plus the champagne she'd had earlier: she could feel her inhibitions slowly fading away. _Be careful, _she told herself. She was finding Bruce Wayne far more attractive than she normally would have.

He was looking at her carefully, and for a second was sure he knew what she was thinking. "If you don't mind me asking, Miss Kyle, do you go to parties often?"

She shook her head. "I've never seen the appeal. Call me Selina, by the way."

"Selina," he repeated slowly. "I thought you didn't. Most people aren't so…genuine, if you know what I mean. Especially if you have any idea about my reputation."

"Oh, I know about your reputation," she said. "You're supposedly a billionaire playboy who drinks, parties and womanizes. Speaking of which, I feel like I'm monopolizing your attention." She gestured to the numerous women who were watching their every move with narrowed eyes.

Bruce's smile grew wider. "Don't worry about them. They're just upset they're missing out on all the publicity."

"Publicity?"

He nodded and his grin turned playful. "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

Bruce beckoned her closer and whispered in her ear, "I hire most of them."

"What?" Selina asked, confused. "I don't understand."

"They don't care about _me_. They care about my image. Any time they're photographed with me, their popularity immediately shoots through the roof. So even if all I do is hold hands with them for thirty seconds or have dinner with them, they're guaranteed a place in the tabloids."

"That's awfully kind of you," Selina said doubtfully.

"What can I say? I'm a generous guy." He winked at her.

"But_ I_ don't want to be in the tabloids." _At least not as Selina Kyle._

"You won't. I have connections—I'll make sure none of this gets published." Bruce sounded convincing. Selina hoped he would make good on his promise.

"Now," he continued, "I can see some of the guests are getting restless, so I'd better ask you one more thing before I make a toast: would you like to have dinner with me at the Criterion restaurant sometime?"

Selina stared at him. Did Bruce Wayne seriously ask her out on a date? There was no way she was going to be the latest on his long line of conquests.

But she had truly enjoyed talking with him…and he seemed more sincere than she had imagined. Besides, she hadn't been on a date in years. "Yes, I would," she eventually said, knowing full well it was partly the alcohol talking and she would be furious at herself in the morning.

"How about this Friday at eight o'clock? I'll pick you up fifteen minutes beforehand."

Selina gave him her address and he pocketed the slip of paper. "Normally I wouldn't do this," she said warningly, "But don't get too cocky."

"I'll try not to." He stood up. "See you on Friday, Selina."

Holly's nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw her coming back. "What happened?" she insisted.

Selina quickly shushed her before anyone could hear. "He asked me on a date." _And I didn't get the urge to steal anything from him._

"Aren't you glad I forced you to come?" Holly asked.

She made a face. "I guess you're right."

Everyone quieted down as Bruce made his way to the middle of the room and tapped the side of his wine glass. "Considering the events of my last party," he began, smirking, while everyone laughed, "I admit, I was nervous about hosting this one. But I wanted everyone I know and who my parents knew to share in the rebuilding of Wayne Manor, a grand house that has been standing for almost a century." He paused. "But now that sentimental garbage is over with, I hope you enjoyed the party. And remember: the booze is on me, and help yourself to any of the women you see here. I know I will." He bowed, and there was scattered applause around the room.

"Selina, I hate to tell you this, but he's kind of an asshole," Holly whispered to her. "If what he just said was anything to go by…"

Selina had to admit she was right. Bruce was now acting like a completely different person. She wondered what his problem was. "Now I'm stuck on a date with him," she sighed.

Holly patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. If you realize you hate him, just excuse yourself."

"That's looking like a strong possibility now," Selina replied. She felt strangely disappointed: she was beginning the think the tabloids were wrong about Bruce.

Thomas announced he wanted to leave shortly after. Selina didn't get a chance to see Bruce again, but it was only when they were back outside and the cold night air sharpened her senses that she realized he hadn't taken a sip of alcohol the entire night.


	4. IV

**Selina's full backstory will be revealed soon, probably in the next chapter. Until then, please enjoy this one!**

* * *

><p>"I feel like our meetings are becoming a nightly occurrence," Selina called dryly as soon as she felt another presence behind her. "Wouldn't you agree?"<p>

There was no reply. Selina turned around and wasn't surprised to see no one. But she knew Batman was there—she could sense his presence nearby, similar to the way a cat senses a mouse hiding under a floorboard. Pretending to ignore him, she adjusted her goggles and focused her attention on the group of thugs standing in the alley below. One of them was holding a cell phone he'd managed to steal from a woman on her way home. _Pathetic, _Selina thought disgustedly. _At least I have a _reason _for what I do._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the now-familiar shape of Batman advancing toward her. "Catch me if you can," she purred, and leapt gracefully into the alley below, landing in front of the thugs.

Selina had long ago learned the best element of any attack was surprise, and that worked perfectly to her advantage now. She punched the leader straight in the nose. He swore and staggered back, blood pouring down his face. In the same movement, she kicked out with her right leg and hooked her ankle around the back of the second man's kneecap. His legs gave out from under him and he tumbled to the ground.

Meanwhile, Batman had landed just as quietly next to her. With what seemed like no effort at all, he took out the other two men with well-aimed punches to the stomach. Selina snatched up the stolen cell phone before he could and darted out into the street. She scaled a chain link fence and climbed up a fire escape to the top of an apartment block, waiting for the vigilante to follow her.

It took him barely twenty seconds to reach her. Selina flipped the phone open and quickly scanned the text messages. "It belongs to a Barbara Gordon," she said. "Do you know her?"

"Yes," Batman growled. He loomed over her, inhuman and forbidding. Selina felt a familiar twinge of excitement and wondered why she was going to all this trouble to lure him in. Her job would be so much easier if his twisted sense of right and wrong were different. "Give it to me."

"How are you going to return it?" Selina asked, a slight teasing tone to her voice. "Considering there's currently a manhunt—or bathunt, if you really want to be specific—for you, I don't think the police commissioner will take too kindly to you returning his wife's cell phone. In fact, he might even think you stole it yourself."

She was dancing with the devil, she knew that, but he wasn't attacking her. "Why are you doing this?" Batman asked instead. "Who are you?"

"I thought we already had this discussion," Selina mused. "I have no motivations other than putting these so-called mobsters and gangsters in their place. And as for my identity…well, you can call me Catwoman." With a quick leap, she closed the distance between them. Her skintight, sleek suit was the complete opposite of Batman's solid, resistant armor. Looking up at him, she could see the strong, defined outline of his jaw. It wasn't entirely unpleasant.

Again, Selina had used the element of surprise. Batman was frozen for a split second as she momentarily pressed up against him and then just as quickly disappeared. She felt rather than heard his pursuit as she leapt off of the roof and landed on the top of a garbage bin below.

Selina led him on a chase all the way through the Narrows and down to the loading docks by the same ferries the Joker had attempted to blow up two months earlier. She leapt onto the railing beside one of the enormous boats and swayed precariously there for a second, pretending to lose her balance.

Like a shadow, Batman suddenly appeared right in front of her. Selina rocked on her heels, grinning, and let herself fall backward, down to the sharp rocks below.

She'd already predicted what would happen next, and she wasn't disappointed: Batman jumped after her, grabbing her arms and flipping them over in midair so he would take the brunt of the fall. They landed hard on the surface of a rock, Selina almost forgetting to use her accent in her next words. "I had no _idea _Batman was so chivalrous…you've been taught well. You wouldn't hurt a woman, would you?"

He hauled them both back onto their feet, but kept a tight grip on Selina's wrist. "Why did you attack the mobsters?" he snarled.

"I thought we already went through this," she hummed. "I take things from people who don't deserve them. Is stealing from criminals really a crime?" She tried to jerk away, but Batman's grip was too strong.

"It is if you don't return the things you steal," he said. Selina imagined him giving her a knowing look from behind his cowl.

"Only the things I can't return," she shot back. It was true—her wealth had been gained from reselling items that were impossible to return to their original owners, like art pieces or jewelry.

Selina knew that Batman probably wouldn't make a distinction between her and petty thieves, so she had planned to avoid him as much as possible. However, she hadn't considered the possibility that he was more fun than she'd imagined.

"You still ought to be turned into the police," Batman hissed. "Not Arkham, but the police. I'll give the phone to Commissioner Gordon."

"That's great," Selina encouraged. "I'll even ask if we can share a cell together. I'd _love _to hear all about you—"

He growled something unintelligible before yanking her closer. "Where's the cell phone?"

Selina fought to control her smirk as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black object. Before Batman could snatch it, she flung it out to sea as far as she could. With a growl of rage, he pulled out his grapple gun and sent it flying at the object.

Meanwhile, Selina seized this moment to make her escape. Using her cat o'nine tails, she brought them down with as much force as possible on Batman's gloved hand. He momentarily lost his grip and she was off, scaling the ledge and disappearing into the darkness.

Laughing to herself, she pulled the real cell phone out of her pocket. Batman's expression would have been priceless to see when he figured out she'd merely thrown a rock.

Selina soon reached the Narrows again and leapt onto the first balcony she saw, jumping higher and higher until she got to the roof. Batman was surely following her by now, so she deliberately took the long way to the police station, never looking back over her shoulder. Any moment of hesitation could be her downfall.

Unsurprisingly, in an alley that was supposed to be in one of the "safer" neighborhoods, Selina encountered a group of drunk men following a young woman. She leapt down into the alley and quickly took care of the men, their drunkenness making everything almost ridiculously easy. When she saw a dark shape in her peripheral vision, she smiled. Now Batman was faced with a dilemma: should he continue to pursue her or bring the scared young woman to safety?

Selina decided to make that choice for him. She immediately took off, knowing that she'd escaped him for the night. She would have to keep a close eye on herself from now on, though.

Once she got to the police station, she placed the cell phone on top of a loose brick and scrawled a message in the dirt below with the heel of her boot: _Take this to Barbara Gordon. –Catwoman._

Satisfied with the night's outcome, Selina headed back to her apartment. In the distance she heard a clock chime three times. It was so late it could be considered early. She had just under seventeen hours until her date with Bruce Wayne.

For the umpteenth time, she cursed herself for accepting him. He had been polite and charming…at the time. Selina thought it odd that he picked her out of all people, until Holly told her slightly reluctantly that Bruce asked nearly every woman he spoke with on a date. To top things off, the restaurant he invited her to happened to be none other than the one he owned. It figured—even though he was a billionaire, he still didn't want to pay for dinner.

Selina figured she would go and just excuse herself halfway through the meal. No matter how handsome he was, she wasn't about to follow him back home afterward. There might have been a time in her life when she would have once done that, but not anymore.

Batman, on the other hand…Selina had to admit she felt some sort of pull toward him. It wasn't lust, because Batman was decidedly not a sexual character, but it was more like magnetism. She was fascinated and repulsed by him in equal measures. She wanted to get inside his head and find out what made him the way he was, but she also wanted to screw with his thinking. There were several moments that night where he seemed almost inhuman. She wondered if he felt the same about her.

Selina slipped noiselessly through her bedroom window twenty minutes later, hoping Holly wasn't waiting up for her. To her relief, the penthouse was dark and quiet—a sure sign that her friend was out. It was odd, really, the amount of time she was spending at Thomas's. Selina couldn't remember the last time she'd been with a client more than twice. Now, judging by the way the two of them had acted at Bruce Wayne's party, they were a fully-fledged couple.

Selina was honestly glad Holly was looking for a substantial relationship—and with a rich surgeon, no less—but she couldn't deny something was off about Thomas Elliot. Perhaps it was the cold look in his eyes, or the murderous way he'd looked at Bruce while the billionaire danced with Holly…the look was very reminiscent of someone from Selina's past. She narrowed her eyes at the thought and then just as quickly relaxed, vowing not to interfere in Holly's personal life. The poor girl already had enough problems without _her _intervention.

Selina shut her window and drew the curtains before finally pulling off her mask and goggles. The fire escape was the only way she could reach the penthouse without going through the lobby. It would undoubtedly become difficult to climb in the winter, but she would figure something out.

Being Catwoman—a different kind of burglar—was extremely enjoyable so far. She'd only been out five times, and she was already on speaking terms with Batman. Selina considered that a major accomplishment—the police had been hunting him for almost two months and they'd only had their first sighting two days ago. _If they really wanted to catch him they'd dress up as criminals_, Selina thought scathingly. _But even then…he's certainly outsmarted them more than once._

She had originally laughed outright when she first heard of Gotham City's most famous crimefighter being a giant rodent. Batman was as well-known in Europe as he was in North America—there'd been more than one mimic in several major cities. But now that Selina had met him firsthand, he didn't seem like such a joke anymore.

She'd just climbed into bed when she heard the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway outside. Senses fully alert, Selina sat up and squinted at the door. They were Holly's, she soon recognized. But they weren't growing fainter—the sound continued as if she were pacing up and down the hall.

"Holly?" Selina called out softly.

There was a pause before Holly replied. "What?"

"Why are you home already?"

The pacing stopped. "I just want to be." Several seconds later, Holly's bedroom door shut and everything fell silent again.

_She can take care of herself, _Selina thought, but her long-buried sisterly instinct kicked in. Holly hadn't been herself ever since she'd met Thomas Elliot. All Catwoman had to do was _accidentally _enter his house some night and learn more about him…

Satisfied with this plan, Selina rolled over and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly.

* * *

><p>"For God's sake, you're not <em>awake <em>yet? You have a date in an hour!"

Sluggishly, Selina opened her eyes. She had the disorienting sense she'd slept for a very long time, yet her room was still dark. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Seven P.M.," Holly flicked on the light, causing Selina to groan and cover her eyes. "You've been asleep for fifteen hours."

"Damn it!" she swore. "Bruce is picking me up in forty-five minutes!"

"Well, you'd better hurry," Holly advised, looking at the discarded Catwoman suit in the corner. "Busy night yesterday?"

Selina nodded as she scrambled out of bed. Holly looked well-rested and alert, so much that it was plausible to think their encounter last night had just been a dream.

"I figured." The younger woman held out a copy of the newspaper. "Look at this."

"**CATWOMAN: FRIEND OR FOE?"** Selina read out loud. "How did they know that was my name?"

"Well, you have to admit, it's not very original," Holly said patronizingly. "A guy dresses up like a bat, they call him Batman. It makes sense that when a woman dresses up like a cat, they'll call her Catwoman."

Selina continued: "_Could this be Batman's latest adversary? A mysterious woman donning a cat suit is Gotham's newest addition. She was spotted by several residents of the Narrows last night and was described to move "swiftly" and with a "feline-like grace" as she navigated the maze of alleyways and buildings. _

_Catwoman was reported to save a teenage girl from being raped before Batman caught up with her. The two were in hot pursuit for at least thirty minutes before the "Feline Fatale" managed to escape. _

_Early this morning, officers found a lost cell phone near the front doors of the police station, later revealed to belong to the Commissioner's wife. A note written in the dirt nearby read: Take this to Barbara Gordon. –Catwoman_

_So is the newcomer good or bad? Batman was seen pursuing her, leading many people to believe she was engaging in some illegal activity. But then again, the Caped Crusader isn't so innocent either._

_For now, it looks like Gothamites will just have to wait and see what unfolds._

"Not bad for the front page, huh?" asked Holly. She pointed to a fuzzy picture above the article. "You can barely see your silhouette, but still…"

"This is exactly what I've been waiting for," Selina replied, smiling widely. "Some recognition for my efforts."

"Congratulations," Holly muttered. She glanced over at the clock. "Will I get recognition for my efforts if I go on your date instead?"

"Dream on," Selina said as she headed for the bathroom. "If you see him arrive, run down and tell him I'll be there in a minute."

"Or I'll just offer to go in your place," said Holly cheerfully. "That better give you incentive to hurry up."

* * *

><p>True to his word, Bruce arrived at seven-forty five on the dot. Selina was dressed in in the fanciest blouse and pants she could find, since she didn't have any other dresses available. Hopefully Bruce wouldn't notice or care—men usually didn't.<p>

"Look at his car," Holly breathed in Selina's ear. "Thomas said it's a Lamborghini Murcielago…but I remember reading that he crashed it a few months ago."

"It's probably a new one, then," Selina said. She spread her arms out and slowly pirouetted in front of Holly. "Do I look acceptable?"

Her friend nodded. "I won't worry if you don't come home tonight, okay?"

Selina winced. "I don't think that's going to happen."

"Come on," encouraged Holly. "Live a little! I want you to look me straight in the eyes and say Bruce Wayne isn't attractive."

"He _is_ attractive…but that's not the point. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, Holly."

"Trust me—love always arrives when you least expect it." Holly gave Selina a knowing look. "Now go out and have a good time. You know, sometimes _I _feel like the older one when I'm talking to you."

"Same here," said Selina. She grabbed her purse and reluctantly returned Holly's thumbs-up before making her way downstairs.

* * *

><p>"Selina! I was beginning to think you stood me up," Bruce joked when he caught sight of her.<p>

"Does that happen to you often?" she replied, smiling.

"More than I'd care to admit." He politely opened the car door for her and she climbed inside, amazed at the blatant luxury of it all. Ten years ago, she'd never imagined she would be sitting in a vehicle this expensive, much less going on a _date _with its owner.

Bruce got into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. The Lamborghini roared to life and Selina had the sudden urge to grip the seat and close her eyes. _This is ridiculous, _she told herself. _You jump across rooftops for fun, and you're scared of riding in a _car?

"You look nervous," Bruce said slyly. Selina refused to answer. With a mischievous smirk, he revved the engine and the car shot out of the parking lot at a speed she didn't even think was humanely possible.

Bruce wove expertly through the congested core of downtown Gotham, swerving around pedestrians and other cars like he'd been doing it his whole life. Despite his speeding, Selina had to acknowledge his competence. Most luxury cars she'd seen were driven by someone who acted as if they were drunk, high, or both.

"I chose the Criterion because it's the one place we won't be seen by the paparazzi," Bruce said while they were stopped at a red light, breaking the silence. "Is that all right with you?"

Selina raised an eyebrow. "I thought you just chose it because it was the one you owned…"

He shook his head. "I almost never take my dates there. Besides, most people don't accept me paying at their restaurants anyway."

"Why not?"

Selina could tell he was slightly embarrassed. "They say it's an honor for them just to have me there."

"I'm sure it's great business, then," she said. "You're doing them a favor."

Bruce looked at her strangely—it was clearly disbelief, but mixed with something else…hope? Selina frowned. Why would he be hopeful?

The Criterion was a beautiful, upscale restaurant overlooking the ocean. Bruce pulled up to the drive and the valet greeted them warmly, sounding starstruck.

As they walked into the restaurant, Selina wondered why Bruce was being so courteous. He didn't once try to hold her hand or put his arm around her waist, as she'd seen him do with countless other girls. Then again, in her experience, men were fine until the second or third date when they finally showed their true colors.

The waiter led them to a private booth next to the massive picture window. Selina could see the docks where she'd fought with Batman the previous night. The city's brilliant skyline was reflected in the water, shimmering and ethereal. She wondered if Batman was out there somewhere, waiting for her.

Bruce sat down across from her and briefly followed her gaze. "It's a wonderful view, isn't it?" he asked. "Actually, it's the whole reason I bought the place."

"Just a small investment, then?" Selina asked, shaking her head. "I wish I had that kind of money."

He frowned. "A lot of people do."

They lapsed into an awkward silence. Selina unabashedly stared at him, trying to figure him out. On the surface, he was a self-absorbed rich playboy, but there was an undercurrent of something else she couldn't quite grasp. His eyes were older than they should be.

After they placed their orders, Selina broke the quiet. "Have you traveled much?" she asked. The only word that was springing to mind when she looked at him was _world-weary._

Bruce nodded. "A fair amount. I guess you could say Gotham is my true home, though."

"Me too," Selina agreed. "When I came back, I was surprised at how much I missed it."

"Where were you living before?"

"Paris. Have you ever been there?" She tried to subvert the conversation back to Bruce, so she wouldn't have to answer any further questions about her past. Selina didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want to tell the truth just yet either.

"I visited once when I was very young." His eyes took on a vaguely wistful look, and she knew he was thinking about his parents.

"It's a beautiful city," Selina continued. "Full of history and art."

Bruce's eyes refocused and his attention turned back to her. "You like art, then?"

Selina smiled. "I'm not into analyzing it, but I do enjoy collecting rare and historic paintings." _My method of collecting is just a bit…different from most people's._

"I know of an excellent art store in Gotham," Bruce said. "I bought some artwork there when I was redecorating the manor. If you want, I can give you the address."

"That would be great!" Selina replied. "My apartment is looking a little bare right now."

He reached into his pocket to retrieve a pen and paper, but at that moment they were interrupted by a couple passing by. "Bruce!" a deep voice called. "What a surprise."

It was Thomas Elliot, dressed to the nines in a suit that looked even more expensive than Bruce's. Standing next to him was a pretty blonde woman wearing glasses. She had a no-nonsense look about her. Selina was immediately on her guard; what was Thomas doing with this stranger?

"Tommy! It's great to see you again," Bruce said. "What is this, the second time in three days we've run into each other?"

"That sounds about right," answered Thomas. "I'm not sure if I've told you this yet, Bruce, but ever since the incident with Gotham General I've been out of a job. Dr. Arkham contacted me last week and asked if I wanted a temporary position at the asylum."

Bruce looked surprised. "Really? No offense, but I don't exactly see you working at Arkham. What do they need a surgeon for anyway?"

This time the blonde woman spoke up. "There are occasional lobotomies and emergency procedures," she said in a clipped, businesslike tone. "I don't expect you'd know about those, Mr. Wayne. Arkham doesn't endorse disclosing that kind of information to the public."

Thomas gave a small smile. "Thank you, Doctor. Bruce, I'd like you to meet Harleen Quinzel, Arkham's newest psychologist. She just started working there yesterday and I offered to take her out to dinner."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Quinzel," Bruce said. He shook her hand and nodded to Selina. "Tommy, _I'd _like to introduce _you _to Miss Selina Kyle, my date."

"Ah, so you're his woman of the hour," Thomas said, turning to her. "I would advise you to enjoy it while it lasts."

"I plan to," Selina replied coolly. She fixed an icy gaze on Dr. Quinzel. "Are you Tommy's new girlfriend, then?"

The psychologist gave a short, humorless laugh. "Hardly. I don't let my work interfere with my personal life."

"That's a wise decision." Bruce quickly cut in, seeming to notice the tension between the two women. "Well, Tommy, I can honestly say I'm interested to see the results of your new career."

"Thank you, Bruce," his childhood friend replied. "Do _you _have any plans for a career?"

He smiled. "I consider keeping up my image a full-time job."

"It's a surprisingly hard thing to do, considering his reputation," Selina interjected, suddenly on the defensive.

"I can imagine," said Thomas, motioning at someone behind them before turning back to Selina and Bruce. "Well, it looks like our table is ready. I hope to see you again sometime."

"Likewise," Bruce responded. He waited until they were out of earshot before saying, "Has anyone ever told you that you're a truly fascinating woman, Selina?"

"Now they have." She was both flattered and amused by his comment. "Why the sudden compliment?"

"Most of my dates can barely keep up a conversation with someone else, let alone come up with a sarcastic reply like that." He took a sip of water, still grinning.

"If an intelligent woman surprises you, then I can only say you need to get out more," Selina said.

"Perhaps I do." The billionaire locked eyes with her, and she smiled widely.

* * *

><p>Their conversation turned even more interesting during the meal. Bruce regaled her with tales of his childhood, some funny and some serious. Selina was struck by his ability to speak clearly and eloquently—it was almost unusual for a man of his age and status. She found herself paying close attention to his words, and even more, <em>wanting <em>to know more about him.

The candle in the middle of their table was flickering and almost extinguished by the time their date ended. Selina actually felt disappointed when Bruce stood up; she was now irrevocably captivated with this man.

"You know," she said as they left the restaurant, "I expected a dull, agonizing evening, but I got a surprisingly interesting date instead."

"That's certainly encouraging," Bruce answered. He helped her back into the Lamborghini—normally Selina wouldn't have allowed a man to assist her in any way, but her skin tingled pleasantly whenever he touched her—and they were soon speeding back through the dark streets.

When they reached Selina's apartment again, she didn't leave the car right away. Bruce Wayne was probably the type of person to kiss on the first date, and she looked forward to the event more than she'd ever say out loud.

His face was only half-illuminated in the dim light, and he fiddled with the steering wheel as if he were nervous. "Selina," he asked, "Would you like to accompany me on another date sometime?"

She would have found the idea preposterous four hours ago, but now she found herself nodding. "I would love to."

Bruce looked relieved. "Then it will be your turn to talk."

Selina gave her best coquettish smile. "We'll see."

They sat motionlessly for another moment before each simultaneously leaned towards the other. Bruce's cologne was wonderfully intoxicating. Selina was struck with a sudden desire just to lean against his shoulder and close her eyes—

But she froze when the sky above them was suddenly illuminated with a bright white light. Bruce noticed it too, and they both looked up to see the enormous outline of a bat silhouetted against the night sky.

"Is that the Bat signal?" Selina asked, confused. The light cast odd shadows in the interior of the car.

"Yes." Bruce looked worried at her distraction.

"But…they destroyed it, right? Did someone rebuild it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's possible…"

Already, Selina's veins were spiked with adrenaline. She opened the car door, too keyed up to wait for Bruce. "Listen, it's been a great date, but I'm exhausted and I need some sleep…"

"Of course," he agreed. "I'll pick you up on Monday night."

She smiled at him once more and climbed out of the car, pausing to look back at his distraught expression. He was probably disappointed they didn't kiss, but now she had more important things on her mind.

Selina hurried into the building and made straight for the penthouse. If the Bat signal was working again, it meant Batman was around somewhere. And Catwoman was never one to miss out on the action.


	5. V

**I apologize for the delay in updates, but they should be coming faster from now on seeing as how I have the story all planned out.**

**Selina's history WILL definitely be explained in the next chapter. Hint: it's almost identical to the _Catwoman v1_ series, but with a few of my own ideas thrown in. Her past will be become an important factor as the story progresses.**

**And I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews, alerts, and favourites this fic has been receiving. Maybe we can get up to 20 reviews before the next chapter? :)**

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><p>It took Selina less than ten minutes to change into her Catwoman costume and slip out of her bedroom window. As she'd expected, Holly wasn't anywhere to be found in the apartment. Perhaps Selina would stop by Thomas's house on the way back and make sure she was safe.<p>

Selina tried not to shiver as a strong gust of icy wind blew past her. It was late autumn and winter was almost upon the city. She would have to make a more resilient suit so she wouldn't freeze come January.

The Bat signal was shining from atop a tall office building overlooking the water. Selina immediately thought it odd—wasn't it supposed to be at the police headquarters?

She quickly scaled the building and concealed herself in the shadow of the skyscraper next to it. From here, she had a stunning view of the downtown skyline and the ocean stretching out behind it. As always, she felt a small rush of pride whenever she saw the brilliant concrete jungle that was her hometown. Even though she'd traveled all over the world, nothing compared to the view of Gotham at night.

Unfortunately, there was nobody around to share it with. The Bat signal in front of her cast a bright light around the area and she could clearly see the rooftop was deserted. The police chief was supposed to be here. Had someone just turned it on and ran?

Selina waited for what felt like hours. She was beginning to regret cutting her date with Bruce so short and her mind wandered to possible scenarios that might have occurred had they actually kissed. There was no point in trying to deny her attraction to him anymore.

All of a sudden, she heard someone moving around behind her. Her muscles coiled as she whirled around, ready to spring at the intruder. But the hulking shape that materialized beside her was now familiar. Slightly disappointed she hadn't gotten to attack anyone, Selina relaxed infinitesimally and glared at Batman.

"Did you do this?" he growled.

His question didn't need elaborating. Selina shook her head, pretending to be offended. "Why on earth would I do something as drastic as this?" she asked. "I can get your attention in…other ways."

Batman took a step toward her. "Then get out of here," he snapped. "It's none of your business."

"_My _affairs are not your business, but you still insist on interrupting them," Selina shot back, not even bothering to hide her smug look.

The Dark Knight's patience lasted barely a second before he suddenly knocked her to the ground. Selina laughed, taking the chance to press her body against his. He was so much bigger than her, both in height and mass, but she found it oddly pleasing. "You had one chance to leave, Catwoman. What the police are going to do with you now is up to them."

Selina grinned. "But what do _you _want to do with me, Batman?" she asked, lifting up one gloved hand to brush the exposed lower half of his face. Despite the chilly air, his body warmth seeped through the thin material into her skin.

He yanked her hand back and crushed her fingers in his iron grip. "Stop it," he warned, but neither of them could deny the involuntary twitch of his mouth, as if in pleasure.

"So there _is _a man under that batsuit," Selina mused aloud. "I would never have guessed."

Batman's eyes widened from underneath his cowl, and she was certain he was about to rip her goggles off and discover her identity. But both of them froze as the crunch of gravel sounded not far away. Selina felt herself being pulled to her feet and she was suddenly upright again, staring straight into the barrel of a gun.

"Don't move," a harsh, guttural voice ordered. Selina felt fear for the first time and she was sure her life was about to flash before her eyes. She'd had guns pointed at her before, but never at this close a range and when she had no escape route.

Batman slowly raised his hands up, as if surrendering. Selina resisted the urge to shut her eyes—it was all over.

But she shouldn't have underestimated the Caped Crusader. Just as the stranger turned the gun on him, Batman knocked the weapon out of his grasp and snapped it in two, throwing the pieces behind him. In the same swift movement, he brought his arm flying up at the stranger's face. In surprise, the stranger stumbled backwards, into the blinding light of the Bat signal—and Selina's eyebrows shot up from behind her goggles.

His face was completely covered in bandages, save for two miniscule slits where his eyes were. He cut a tall, imposing figure and was nearly the same height as Batman. He looked like a grotesque mummy risen from the grave to wreak havoc on those he knew in life.

"It was a trick," Batman said, his hands clenching into fists as he advanced on the bandaged man. "You set this up."

The man nodded. "I wasn't expecting your girlfriend, though."

"She's not my girlfriend," Batman retorted. "Why did you come here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to have a little _fun_," the grotesque mummy replied, shrugging his enormous shoulders.

"Who are you?" Selina asked, almost forgetting to use her Russian accent.

"Everyone calls me Hush, but you'll soon find I'm not very quiet," the mummy-man sneered.

Batman swung at him in response to some unheard signal. But Hush was ready for him. With a brutal force, his hand cuffed the top of Batman's cowl, trying to rip it off. Something like an electric buzz passed through his fingers, but that didn't deter him.

Selina had no choice but to intervene. She leapt on top of the Bat signal and dove down onto Hush, wrapping her legs around his shoulders. With a yell of anger, he tried to twist her feet away.

This distraction allowed Batman to kick him in the back of the legs repeatedly. Hush's knees buckled and he sank to the ground, still trying to wrest Selina off of him. She stubbornly stayed on and grabbed a handful of his bandages, trying to rip them off.

Hush suddenly jerked his head forward, at the same time punching her in the stomach. Selina managed to pull a good ten inches of bandage away before she lost her balance and fell. Batman was immediately upon Hush, trying to pin him down.

"I know you didn't kill Harvey Dent!" Hush cried. "The citizens believed your lie, but I'm not so gullible. The beloved Bat wouldn't break his _one rule, _would he?"

In a fit of rage, Batman slammed Hush's face into the pavement. The other man gave a howl of pain, but was soon kicking and punching Batman wherever he could.

Selina tried to force herself between them, but the two were engaged in such an intense combat she had no way of finding a weak spot. They had probably four hundred pounds of muscle between them—any careless move could kill her.

For a second, it seemed as though Batman had the upper hand, but Hush placed a well-aimed kick to the head and he stumbled backwards. Selina rushed forward, but the bandaged villain was already backing away.

"This won't be the last of me, _Batman_," he called mockingly. "You and your girlfriend can't win!"

With an enraged growl, Batman literally jumped at him, but Hush had already disappeared. Meanwhile, Selina's attention was focused on the army of policemen that were beginning to swarm the building. She backed up to the edge of the rooftop and was fully prepared to disappear when Batman turned back to her.

"Why did you do that?" he growled.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Help me."

Taken aback by his question, Selina frowned. "I never said I was on your side…but I never said I was _against _you either."

This didn't seem to be an appropriate response for him. He slowly began to advance upon her. "Listen," she began. "In approximately five minutes the police are going to show up and we'll both be caught. Now, I don't know who Hush is, but there's no denying he wants to kill us both. How about we call a…temporary truce? You won't try to turn me in, and I'll help you."

Batman stopped some five feet in front of her. She wished she knew what he was thinking. "An alliance?"

Selina shrugged. "Alliance, partnership, whatever."

"How do I know you can be trusted?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she retorted. "First you killed Harvey Dent, now you apparently didn't…how many lies did you have to tell _then_?"

Batman's mouth curled downwards in a grimace. He was silent for a long time as he thought. Just when Selina was planning to retract the offer, he nodded once. "Fine."

She smiled widely, pleased. "Good. Should we shake on it?" Holding out her hand, she tried her best to look innocent. Batman seemed incredulous, but he reluctantly took her fingers and shook, sealing the deal.

Selina made sure to keep her hand in his for as long as she could, knowing Batman would be on his guard from now on. If she was going to steal anything she would have to be ultra careful. "See you around, then?" she purred, marveling at how unreal the entire situation was.

Batman looked at her suspiciously. "I'll be keeping a close watch on you, Catwoman."

"I feel so flattered," Selina hummed. On a sudden impulse, she blew him a kiss and waved before melting back into the shadows.

It hadn't been a remotely funny night, but Selina laughed all the way home.


	6. VI

**I promise I haven't abandoned this story! It's been almost five months since my last update and I never meant for this one to take so long, but I had terrible writer's block until two days ago when the TDKR trailer gave me a sudden inspiration. I really hope you'll stick with me! :) Again, I'm so sorry for the long delay.**

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><p>Thomas Elliot's house was disgustingly huge. It took up an entire block and ten suburban houses could have easily fit inside of it. Selina crept silently along the perimeter of the fence, searching for a weak spot. The low hum indicated that it was wired with electricity. She wasn't surprised; someone who was as wealthy as he was would want to be as safe as possible.<p>

On the other side of the property there was a large oak tree, planted just far enough away from the fence so that it would be impossible for a regular person to jump over. But Selina was no regular person. When she got to the tree, she leapt up onto the first branch and balanced precariously there, startling a nest of sleeping birds above her. Just like a cat.

When she got to the edge of the branch, she uncurled her whip and swished it forward. It wrapped around the electric fence and there was an audible buzz, but not loud enough to alert anyone in the house. If there _were _guards around, they would probably dismiss it as a small animal accidentally running into the fence.

Using the whip as leverage, Selina leapt straight from the tree to the property below, missing the fence entirely. She landed neatly on her feet—a difficult task when wearing five-inch heels.

No light shone from the mansion as she stealthily crept up to it. There was a security camera placed under one of the rafters, but Selina made a wide berth across the lawn to keep out of its path. She tried each window as she went by it, looking for something loose, or, even better, open.

On the second floor she found an unlocked pane—Thomas probably figured no one would ever manage to make it up there. Selina gently pushed it open and slipped through the gap, her entire body on alert.

She was in what looked like a sitting-room, adorned with plush chairs, Persian carpets, and cabinets full of artifacts and expensive jewelry. Selina's eyes roved greedily over the objects in the cabinets, feeling the familiar itch in her fingers.

Tucked away in the very back of a cabinet was a gold bracelet encrusted with rubies. It was the most stunning bracelet she had ever seen, even better than the emerald earrings at Jade's Jewels.

Moving as if in a dream, Selina ghosted over to the cabinet and slipped the bracelet over her wrist, holding her arm out in front of her to get a better view. Even in the near-darkness the crimson of the rubies were evident.

Somewhere below her, she heard footsteps trudging up a set of stairs. It sounded like there was only one person there—so that meant Holly had already gone home. There was no need for her to investigate.

Selina slunk back to the window and crawled out again, softly closing it behind her before leaping to the ground below. The bracelet still sparkled proudly on her wrist.

Whether he was Holly's boyfriend or not, Thomas Elliot didn't deserve his wealth. She'd seen the look on his face at Bruce Wayne's party and then again at the restaurant. He was one of _that _contemptuous, wealthy breed, the kind Selina hated most of all. The kind that would never look twice at people below him. Besides, it was likely he wouldn't even notice the bracelet was missing.

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><p>When Selina arrived back home Holly was awake and waiting for her. "I heard sirens everywhere," her friend said worriedly. "Where were you? I thought you were still with Bruce!"<p>

Selina explained that their date was enjoyable, but it had been cut short. She didn't mention Hush or her newfound alliance with Batman—something told her to keep those things to herself for a while. She did, however, let slip that she'd visited Thomas's house on the way back.

Holly looked positively furious even before Selina finished speaking. "Why would you look for me?" she exclaimed. "I can take care of myself, Selina! What if Tommy had caught you?"

"He wouldn't have," she replied. "I don't like him, Holly. You have to be careful."

"I've been doing this for twelve years!" Holly shouted. "I don't need you to watch out for me. You have no idea what I'm doing—"

"Actually, I do," Selina said, crossing her arms. It was time to tell Holly everything. "If you can just calm down then I'll tell you exactly _how _much I know."

Holly looked sullen, but reluctantly stayed silent. Selina took a deep breath and cast her mind back a quarter of a century. She had never told anyone this story before, and it sounded strange to hear the words aloud, like it had happened to someone else.

"As you know, I was born here in Gotham. My parents were very poor and neither of them had a steady job. I had a younger sister, Maggie, and since our parents didn't take care of us I was responsible for her from the very beginning. When I was nine, my mother committed suicide. I was the one who found her."

Selina had been haunted by the sight for years afterward: Maria Kyle, lying on the bathroom floor with a gun next to her head and blood rapidly staining the white carpet. She'd started screaming, screaming until Maggie had come running, but she'd shielded her sister from the horrific sight. No matter how hard she'd tried, she could never completely forget the way her mother's cold, dead eyes stared up at her…

Narrowing her eyes, she resumed the story: "My father had always favored Maggie, but he hated me even more after my mother died because I looked so much like her. He was an alcoholic who got drunk every night, and I used to lock my bedroom door because I was scared he would attack me. When I was twelve, he drank himself to death."

"That's horrible," Holly said quietly, the anger now gone from her eyes. Selina shrugged, putting on an indifferent air. She didn't like the pity in her friend's eyes; she hated it when people felt sorry for her.

"Maggie and I were sent to an orphanage," she continued firmly. "But we were separated because of our ages. I used to sneak out of my window at night to visit her. We'd only been in there a year when I was caught by the administrator and thrown out. She left me on the street and there was no way for me to back and visit Maggie." She paused. "That's how I learned to fend for myself. I stole from shops and pockets and slept in alleyways. I learned how to pickpocket and charm people into giving me what I wanted.

"But eventually…it wasn't enough. I was still starving to death and because I was so weak, I wasn't as efficient as I used to be. Just as I'd given up and was about to crawl to the river to drown myself, a man spotted me and promised to give me as much food and water as I wanted if I would do some things for in return. Of course I agreed. After I had stuffed myself on as much food as I could possibly eat, he told me that he was a pimp and I would be his newest child prostitute. What else could I do but agree? I was only fourteen…a year older than you were when you started."

Holly's eyes were wide. "How many clients did you have?"

Selina shrugged. "Not many, at first. I was unpopular because I was so young and didn't know how to do a lot of the things my clients wanted me to. About six months after I started, I began feeling sick and started gaining weight. I was scared I was pregnant." Before Holly could interject, she said, "It turned out I wasn't, but that was a wake-up call for me. I stole the money the pimp had taken from me and ran away.

"I lived in Gotham for another three years, pickpocketing like before. I got to know another child prostitute named Sylvia who had also run away, so we lived together for a little while. But eventually I realized that she was planning on going back to the pimp and telling him she knew what had happened to me. By then I was eighteen, old enough to do anything I wanted—or so I thought. I snuck on a ferry out of Gotham and spent the next seven years traveling the world. I became quite rich because of my skill at getting people to part with their objects...usually unknowingly." She smirked. "I moved often so people wouldn't become too suspicious."

"What was your favorite place?" Holly asked.

"Paris," Selina said immediately. "But I did enjoy London." She thought of the dress she'd worn at Bruce's party the other night and couldn't help the small pang that stabbed at her heart.

During one of her bank heists in London, she'd met another man who she had quickly become close to. Like her, he was completely solitary—but there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to his crimes. While Selina stole expensive artifacts to prove a point, he stole for the sake of stealing; murdered for the sake of murdering. Selina had never killed anyone, and always had to hide her disgust when he came back boasting about a victim or his discover of a new kind of torture.

Nevertheless, her attraction to him was undeniable. They were both in their mid-twenties at the time, both physically attractive, both experts in what they did. They were a force to be reckoned with when they were together. However, their relationship was mainly physical when they weren't out robbing a museum or bank. All Selina knew about him was that his name was Jack (though she strongly suspected he was lying about even that) and he was from Gotham City as well. She knew nothing about his past or why he was in London. At the time, however, she hadn't cared. He gave her a thrill and she liked it; liked feeling powerful and appreciated. Since her days as a prostitute, she'd been extremely self-conscious about her body, but it was impossible to feel insecure around him. In a way, she supposed, he'd been as helpful to her as he was destructive.

Jack was like a wild flame to her, burning brighter and brighter until she wasn't sure whether to close her eyes or continue looking at him in awe. His ideals had grown even more twisted, his plans more elaborate, and she often fell asleep listening to him talk about the sham that was politics and how anarchy would be a much better alternative than current society. "Maybe I'll even let you be my companion one day," he'd said. "My little _kitten_."

They had lived together in a flat in the west end of London for the better part of a year. One morning, after a particularly wild night, Selina had woken up to find him gone. He had simply disappeared, with no note or farewell. The flame had been extinguished.

Looking back on it, she supposed she had loved Jack, in a breathless, frantic way. He was charismatic and seductive, with the power to make anyone do what he wanted like they were mere lumps of putty. Selina had thought _she _was persuasive, but Jack made her do and say things that caused her to duck her head in shame when she remembered them, even years later. Things that she never wanted to do again. Some of the scars he'd inflicted on her still remained.

She'd been attracted to him instantly, in the same way she'd instantly been attracted to Bruce Wayne. Selina didn't know why the billionaire playboy had such an effect on her. She only known him a week and they were already going on a second date. Of course, she had already moved in with Jack by the time she'd known _him_ for a week.

"…Selina?" Holly asked quizzically. "Are you all right?"

She quickly snapped back to reality. "Yes. The point is, Holly, I _do _know what you're doing. I'm aware of the dangers. So don't assume I'm just being overprotective. Do you understand?"

Holly nodded.

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne took her for a walk during their date that Monday night. The Kane Botanical Gardens had acres of paths and woodland. Selina felt more comfortable talking to him in such a private setting; she was more natural and not as aloof. Bruce seemed courteous and amiable, but she was always careful to keep the rumors she'd heard about him in the back of her mind. Looks could be deceiving, and she had to be sure he was genuine before she did anything more.<p>

After half an hour of walking they came across a pond with croaking frogs sitting on lily pads and dragonflies skimming the surface of the water. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Selina asked. She shaded her eyes and looked up, past the grassland to where the skyscrapers peered out over the tops of the trees. "It reminds me almost of—"

She was about to say _Paris_, but the word was lost on her lips as a strong breeze blew past them. It lifted her hat right up off her head, carrying it to the water where it gently landed on the surface.

Bruce laughed. "Don't worry," he told her. Before she could ask him what he was going to do, he dove right into the pond, managing to retrieve her hat but completely soaking his designer suit in the process.

Selina's eyes widened, but she was pleasantly surprised. Bruce made a show of climbing out of the pond and walking back to her, twirling her hat with a mock-annoyed expression as if he'd had to travel halfway across the world to rescue it. "Hold on to it next time there's a wind," he advised her.

"I'll try," she teased, grabbing it from him and drying the edges before placing it back on her head.

Bruce suddenly frowned as if he had heard something unpleasant. "What?" Selina asked, but she had barely spoken when she heard the distant clicks of cameras.

"It's the paparazzi," Bruce muttered. "Let's go." Taking her arm, he hurried her down the path and through a line of trees to where his Lamborghini waited. Selina was surprised he'd heard them even before she did—then again, living in the public eye his whole life, he could probably spot a camera from a mile away.

"Selina, I am terribly sorry," he apologized. "I don't know how they could have found us."

"It's all right," she replied. "I should have expected it."

"I know you said you wanted to keep things private." Bruce looked honestly stricken. "I can drive you back home if you want."

"No, no," Selina said. "Really, Bruce, don't worry about it." _It shouldn't be too difficult for me to find ways of sneaking around them…or better yet, give them a taste of their own medicine._

They drove in silence back to Wayne Manor. Bruce appeared outwardly calm but Selina could tell by the way he kept glancing agitatedly behind them he was more affected by the incident than she was. That was very peculiar—he was followed by paparazzi all the time, wasn't he?

In daylight, the manor looked even more gorgeous, a perfect reconstruction of the original Gothic design. The grounds seemed to stretch on forever and the drive twisted and turned across the undulating hills.

Bruce parked the car in front of the house and as Selina got out she noticed a flock of geese flying overhead. "This is wonderful," she said. "I don't see why you would want to burn it down."

It was intended as a joke, but Bruce's face darkened. "You never know what will happen after you've had a few drinks," he said, his tone light-hearted in contrast.

The English butler, Alfred, met them at the front door. Selina didn't miss the momentary flash of bewilderment on his face when he saw her. "Good afternoon, Miss Kyle," he said. "I see you're the newest woman to catch Master Wayne's eye."

"That's enough, Alfred," Bruce said, but he was smiling. "I was planning on inviting Selina for dinner."

"I believe that can be arranged," said Alfred. "Would you like sushi or steak?"

Bruce looked over at Selina. "Surprise me," she said with a smile.

"Ah, a woman who isn't afraid of surprises," the butler responded. "A good quality to possess, wouldn't you agree, Master Wayne?"

"Of course," Bruce agreed, but Selina caught him giving Alfred an unfathomable look.

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><p>She spent the rest of the afternoon on a tour of Wayne Manor. Bruce pointed out the rooms to her and gave a brief description of each, pausing whenever she asked a question. Sometimes he looked stunned when she did, as if he never expected her to be listening to him, much less wanting to know more.<p>

Some of her questions weren't entirely out of simple interest, however. Like in Thomas's house, the Wayne family heirlooms were out on display in many of the rooms. To her disappointment, Selina didn't find any she liked as much as the ruby bracelet, but there were bound to be more that Bruce wasn't showing her.

Dinner was ready right after they had finished the tour. Alfred brought out a platter of brightly colored sushi and the three of them promptly began to eat.

"Is it just the two of you living here?" Selina asked. "No servants or anything?"

Bruce nodded. "I've never lived here for more than a couple of years at a time, and Alfred gets along fine by himself so we're comfortable with the way it is."

A loud, piercing ring interrupted Selina's answer. Startled, she felt for her phone and saw that Holly was calling her. "Do you mind if I take this?" she asked, scraping back her chair and ducking into the next room.

"What is it, Hols?" she asked when she was out of earshot. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," said Holly. "But whoever just got shot isn't."

Selina frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Someone was killed outside of the apartment," Holly said urgently. "I was looking out of the window and I heard gunshots and…and someone on the street collapsed. The police barricaded the entire area. No one can get through and they're not letting anyone enter or leave the building."

Glancing backwards and dropping her voice to make complete sure Bruce and Alfred couldn't hear, Selina muttered, "Do you see any sign of Batman?"

"_Batman?_ No," Holly said. "Why?"

"No reason," Selina replied. "Do you need me to come back?"

"It's fine; enjoy your date. Tommy's downstairs looking for information." Holly said. Selina heard a deep male voice on the other end and she gasped. "Guess he came back. Gotta go! Bye!"

Selina ended the call and pocketed her phone, keeping a straight face as she walked back into the dining room. "What happened?" Bruce asked.

"There's been a murder near my apartment and Holly said they've blocked all the roads off. I don't know where I'm going to stay tonight," she said, picturing herself sleeping in a doorway or on a rooftop. It shouldn't be a big deal; she'd done it plenty of times before.

"Well, how about you stay here?" Bruce suggested. "We have plenty of spare rooms."

Selina paused. It would certainly be odd and more than a little bit awkward, but it was preferable to sleeping on the street. "That would be great, if you don't mind," she said.

"Not at all," Bruce said. "Alfred, could you get a room ready for her?"

"You mean we're not sharing one?" Selina asked in mock surprise. She watched carefully for Bruce's reaction, and she wasn't disappointed: his face turned a faint red. Why would a playboy like him be uncomfortable by such a brazen comment?

After dinner they had decadent ice cream, which Selina eyed suspiciously—if she kept eating that way she wouldn't be able to fit into the catsuit—but she eventually gave in when she saw Bruce's expectant look and discovered that it was quite good.

When the meal was over Bruce asked if she wanted to watch a movie. Selina agreed readily, having nothing better to do, and he started a movie on his enormous wraparound television. She sat next to him on the couch, close together but not quite touching, and let her mind wander as the movie began.

Despite what everyone said about him, Bruce had been nothing but gracious and respectful to her. Grudgingly, Selina had to admit to herself that she would be willing to go on more dates with him. Something about him drew her in. Nevertheless, she needed something more from a potential partner, something _darker. _Could Bruce Wayne keep up with her? If she ever revealed to him that she was Catwoman, would be pleased or disgusted? No matter how unusual he acted sometimes, he was still a shallow pond: pretty to look at, but with not much depth. She needed an ocean, someone who understood her and who knew that she could never be tamed. Someone like Batman. He definitely knew more than he let on.

Selina wondered where he was right then and what he was doing. Could he be watching silently from a rooftop as the events near her apartment unfolded, waiting for her? Was he escaping the police? Or was he still at home, with his family? Did he have a wife? _Children_? Selina couldn't imagine Batman having any sort of family. He was a force of nature, just…_him_.

Bruce shifted on the couch next to her, and in an involuntary moment of rashness she took his hand and wound his fingers through hers. He looked at her in some shock, and Selina smiled as innocently as she could. He didn't try to pull away, which greatly pleased her. They stayed like that for the rest of the movie.

When the credits finally rolled, Bruce removed his hand from hers and stood up. "Did you like it?" he asked.

"I wasn't paying attention, to be honest," Selina answered, standing up as well. Bruce was very tall, like Batman, but since she wasn't wearing heels she felt shorter than she normally did around men of their size.

"I think Alfred should have your bedroom set up by now," Bruce said. "I'll go check."

Selina pretended to be disappointed. "I thought we were sharing a room."

He paused for a moment, flustered, and she grinned. "Never mind, lover boy. I'll get you into bed eventually."

Recovering himself quickly, he said smoothly, "I'll look forward to it."

* * *

><p>Her room was on the third floor, just a few rooms down, she noticed, from Bruce's. She wondered if Alfred had done that on purpose. Where did his conquests normally sleep? Shouldn't there be a room already prepared?<p>

"If you need anything, just knock on my door," Bruce said. "There's a mini fridge in your room and a private bathroom."

"I doubt I'll be leaving the room at all," Selina reassured him, following him inside. "Well, aside from the paparazzi, that was a nice date."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He stood rather uneasily in the middle of the floor, looking around as if he hadn't been in the room for a long time. "Good night, Selina."

"Good night, Bruce," she said. Without consciously thinking about it beforehand, she reached up and kissed him.

It was meant to be a quick kiss, but Bruce grabbed her and held her to him with surprising strength. His lips gently brushed across hers before he pulled away, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Selina watched his back as he retreated, closing the door behind him.

She didn't go to bed right away; instead, she curled up on the window seat and stared out over the dark grounds, searching for the twinkling lights of the city in the distance. She was itching to change into her costume and find Batman, but that was impossible now. He would just have to wait another night for her.

And knowing him, he would.


	7. VII

Selina woke early the following morning, having slept fitfully the entire night. She wasn't used to sleeping during the night and being awake during the day. It was disorientating and confusing.

She searched in the fridge for something to eat, but gave up after a while since she wasn't hungry. The only thing left to do now was call Holly and see what was happening.

Her roommate didn't answer until the fourth ring. "Selina?" she said sleepily.

"What's going on?" asked Selina. "Is it all right to come back?"

"Give me a second." There was a short pause and she heard the sound of curtains being opened. "I don't see any police cars anymore and there are people leaving the building, so I think you should be fine."

"I'll be there soon," Selina said, emphasizing the _soon_. She didn't want to walk in on Holly and Thomas doing…whatever it was they did when they were alone.

When she'd hung up, she sat on the bed for another five minutes, wondering what she should do next. Bruce was probably a late sleeper and she had no idea where Alfred was. Perhaps she could do a bit more _exploring_…

Smirking to herself, Selina stood up and opened her bedroom door, looking up and down the hallway. Bruce's door was still closed and the place seemed deserted.

To her right there was a door slightly ajar. She pushed it open with one hand and glanced inside.

It was another bedroom, but twice the size and far more luxurious than her guest room. A king-sized bed stood in one corner and a mahogany dresser stood across from it. The carpet alone looked to be more expensive than her entire penthouse. Selina wondered if this was Thomas and Martha Wayne's old room. If it was, it certainly had been rebuilt extremely thoroughly.

She crept to the cabinet and quietly opened the top drawer. There was a simple blue jewelry box inside. Feeling excited, Selina flipped it open, but she was sorely disappointed when she saw it was just a bunch of pearls. Why weren't they attached to some sort of chain to make a necklace?

They did intrigue her, though. Something about the necklace was familiar, as if she'd seen someone wearing it before.

She put the box down and was about to look for more when she heard Bruce's door open in the hallway. Quickly, she slammed the drawer shut and looked for the first hiding place she could find, since it would be impossible to come out of his parents' room without revealing what she was doing.

The ensuite bathroom was the only place that was close enough. Selina dove inside and hid in the bathtub, pulling the shower curtain aside. She heard Bruce's footsteps down the hall and he paused, presumably wondering why the door was now open.

"What are you doing in there, Master Bruce?" she heard Alfred ask.

"I'm looking for Selina," Bruce replied. "She's not in her room and this door was open…maybe she got lost?"

"It's a possibility. But why would she go in there?" the butler questioned. "She was most likely opening the doors along the hallway and then went downstairs."

"Probably," Bruce echoed, but he stayed motionless in the doorway for another second. When Selina finally heard him leave, she carefully stepped out of the bathtub and hurried back into the hallway. Bruce and Alfred had gone down a staircase and she followed them, deliberately making her footsteps loud so they could hear her.

"Selina!" Bruce exclaimed when he saw her. "Where were you?"

"I got lost," she lied. "I thought I was back in my room but it turned out I wasn't…it took me forever to get back here." She laughed.

"It is quite easy to do that in this house," Alfred said. "Would you like to stay for breakfast, Miss Kyle?"

"I'm afraid I can't," she answered. "I have to go home and get ready for work."

Bruce looked genuinely disappointed. "I'll drive you, then."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, they were back in his Lamborghini and speeding towards Gotham. "How did you sleep?" he asked.<p>

"It was very comfortable," she said. "How about you?"

His lips twitched. "I didn't get as much as I probably should have."

"Why not?"

"Oh, there was a TV special I wanted to watch." He stepped on the gas pedal and the car zoomed by a Jaguar like it was standing still.

When they got back to Selina's apartment she thanked him profusely for his hospitality. "I really appreciate it, Bruce."

"It's not a problem," he assured her. Hesitating for a moment, he finally said, "Would you like to meet again sometime?"

"I would," she said honestly.

"How about Wednesday night? I believe I have a board meeting to attend tomorrow." He made a face and she laughed.

"That sounds great," Selina answered.

As she got out of the car, she wondered if she should kiss him. But no; she'd already done that last night and she didn't want to seem too eager. He waved and the car soon disappeared into the rush hour traffic.

* * *

><p>Holly was sitting on the couch with Thomas when she arrived back at the penthouse. "Had fun yesterday?" Thomas asked lazily, holding up the newspaper. Selina glared at him and snatched it from his hands. "<strong>BRUCE WAYNE MAKES A SPLASH WITH NEW GIRLFRIEND" <strong>the headline boldly proclaimed. Sure enough, there was a picture of Bruce handing Selina's hat back to her.

She didn't even bother to read the article; it was probably full of lies. Snorting in disgust, Selina tossed the paper back to Thomas. "How many dates have you been on?" he asked.

"That's none of your business." Ignoring Holly's warning look, she abruptly left the room and went into her bedroom. Once she was safely inside, she opened the bottom drawer of her cabinet, which had a false bottom, and pulled out Thomas' bracelet. She felt vindictive as she twirled it around in her fingers.

No matter how much Holly liked him, he wasn't worth half as much as any piece of jewelry he owned.

* * *

><p>"What do you think of her, Alfred?" Bruce asked when he got back to Wayne Manor.<p>

"She's certainly a change from most of the girls I see you with," Alfred said. "What brought on the sudden interest?"

"I don't know," Bruce answered honestly. "I'm not even looking for a girlfriend, Alfred. I can't afford to let anything or anyone distract me from Batman."

"Is that the only reason, sir?" Alfred asked quietly. When Bruce refused to meet his eyes, he bowed his head in sadness. Rachel Dawes had been the only woman he'd ever seen Bruce care about. Her death had affected the young Wayne to his very core.

"I _do _like Selina," Bruce said hesitantly. "But I don't know her. She's never told me anything about her past. She could have escaped Arkham for all I know."

Alfred chuckled. "She seems like a very independent, forward-thinking woman to me," he said. "Very genuine."

"But I can't start a relationship with her even if I wanted to," Bruce replied. "It's not fair to her that she won't know everything about me. I can never tell her that I'm Batman."

Alfred nodded in agreement. Even if Bruce did fall in love, there was the chance that a messy breakup would lead to his girlfriend revealing his secret identity. It wasn't fair to his partner that he would be away a lot of the time. Gotham was his passion, and Alfred couldn't think of many women that would understand that. Besides, there were the added pressures of being Bruce Wayne's wife, and having to put up with his frequent brooding moods. Especially with his current reputation, it was highly unlikely he would ever find a steady girlfriend, much less a wife. Even if Rachel was still alive, she would never have stayed with Bruce as long as he was Batman, and that was something he could not give up. It tore at Alfred's heart to see Bruce looking so alone. He'd arguably been alone his entire life; even before Thomas and Martha's deaths he had never had siblings to play with while they were working. Rachel had been a great source of comfort and stability to him during his teenage years, but they had drifted apart once they became adults. It caused Alfred a great deal of pain to see the almost suffocating loneliness in Bruce's eyes. He knew Bruce had accepted that he would be like that for the rest of his life, but acceptance didn't always lead to happiness.

"So what are you going to do about it, sir?" Alfred asked.

Bruce shrugged. "I think I'm going to continue seeing her. That will give me an excuse not to find girls to go with to social functions, anyway."

Alfred smiled sadly. "If you want to discover more about her, Master Wayne, I would suggest being on your best behavior."

Chuckling, Bruce sat down but immediately sobered up again when he saw the newspaper. Ignoring the picture of him and Selina on the front page, he flipped to the back where there was a blurry picture of Catwoman attacking the mobsters in the alleyway and sighed.

"Did you see her last night?" Alfred inquired.

Bruce shook his head. "I can't figure out whether she's on my side or not. I don't know if she plans on keeping the alliance."

"You'll find out in time," the butler encouraged.

"Nevertheless, I'll have to tell Lucius that my suit _is _doing fine against cats," Bruce said, and gave a sincere smile.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Selina to run into Batman that night. She was walking dangerously over the edge of a building, toeing the line between safety and danger.<p>

"Where were you last night?" he asked harshly. Selina made sure to stay close to the edge so she had an escape route.

"I was right here," she lied. "Where were _you_?"

Before she could react, he'd snatched a bag of money out of her hand. "If you keep doing this then I'm going to turn you in," he snarled. "I'm not working with a thief."

"That's such a harsh word, isn't it?" Selina asked. "I prefer the term 'escape artist'."

To demonstrate her point, she flipped backward over the edge of the building, launching herself into thin air and then landing lightly on the balcony below.

Batman landed beside her and she laughed, narrowly eluding his grasp. He growled angrily and she laughed at him before disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Working at a nine-to-five-job, Selina decided, wasn't her forte. She found sitting behind a desk and talking to people so incredibly <em>boring<em>. The first few days had been fine, but after a while everything began to grow monotonous. She wondered if she shouldn't just quit while she was ahead, but in order to get her paycheck she had to wait until Jade was back for vacation and then she could safely leave.

She and Batman had gone patrolling every night and so far there hadn't been any sign of Hush. Selina felt uneasy about him and she had to admit she'd had several nightmares about his bandages peeling off to reveal a horrible deformed face. Whoever he was, he wanted Batman dead and he wasn't afraid to kill anyone who stood in his way.

On a more pleasant note, Selina had gone on two more dates with Bruce during the week, although no more paparazzi pictures had emerged, and she was rather taken by him. Selina rather liked the arrangement—if Bruce fell in love with her, she would have him completely under her power. Despite what the tabloids were saying (they _must _be engaged because he'd gone on more than three consecutive dates with her) they were taking things slowly. Selina wasn't the marrying type and she doubted Bruce was either.

Now it was Saturday again, two weeks after the entire thing had started. She was crouched in the shadows, waiting for Batman. She knew he would find her, even if she hadn't been doing anything that was, in his eyes, _wrong_.

She was just about to give up and sneak over to Jade's Jewels to see if the earrings she so loved were still there, but the sudden dark shape above her stopped her in her tracks. "Why, hello, _Batman_," she purred. "Decided to stop by and greet little old me?"

He didn't have the patience for her tricks just then. Selina suddenly found herself pinned to the wall while the whites of his eyes bore into hers. "Did you see anything?" he demanded.

"Nothing more than usual," she replied. "Did _you_?"

His mouth pulled downwards in a grimace as if he was considering telling her or not. Finally he growled, "Scarecrow escaped Arkham."

* * *

><p><strong>In response to an anonymous review I received for the last chapter, I'd like to explain a bit about Selina and Holly: Selina trusts her implicitly, more so than she's trusted anyone in a very long time. She's known Holly for a year and they've saved each other's lives, so Selina knows Holly can be counted on. (Although, she didn't tell Holly <em>everything<em> about herself-she only gave a quick biography). Holly still doesn't know a lot about Selina.**

**But yes, their relationship is definitely something that will be explored later on in the story. I hope that was an appropriate explanation, in case anyone else was wondering. :)**


	8. VIII

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Selina asked, struggling under his iron grip.

"Go," Batman growled. "It isn't safe for you here."

She glared at him, affronted. "Stop underestimating me. If you keep on pinning me down like this, I'm going to think you've gone back on our little _truce_."

Batman scowled, but he reluctantly let go of her, blocking her path so she couldn't escape. "Can you keep a look out?" he finally said.

"Of course." She pretended to be hurt, and he stared at her for another second before warning that he would know if she tried anything before vanishing into the shadows.

* * *

><p>Selina slowly prowled the streets of the Narrows, looking for anything suspicious. Oddly enough, the streets were empty of anyone, much less criminals. As she drew deeper and deeper into the slums the buildings, even in the dark, began to look more familiar. She hadn't been to this place for sixteen years—it was where she had grown up.<p>

She finally stopped in front of a rickety apartment building that was surprisingly still standing. Her bedroom window used to be third from the left; Selina regarded it with a strange bittersweetness. She'd shared a room with Maggie and they'd often dared each other to climb down the drainpipe and jump onto the street below. Selina had always been the only one who would attempt it; she'd gradually gone faster and her leaps had grown so dangerous that Maggie would shriek for her to be careful. She had always been a daredevil, even as a young child.

She sorely missed her sister. One of the reasons she'd wanted to come back to Gotham was to find out what had happened to Maggie. So far, Selina had scoured the orphanage records, but all she'd gotten was that Maggie had been released on her eighteenth birthday and there was no sign of her after that.

"You must be Batman's new friend," a deep voice said from behind her. Selina whirled around, whip at the ready, to see a man dressed in a suit with what looked like a burlap sack over his head. It would have been an amusing sight if not for the fact that she recognized the Scarecrow at once. His fear toxin had nearly poisoned the entire Narrows population the year before.

"You don't know who I am," Selina hissed through clenched teeth, jumping up onto the drainpipe.

The Scarecrow regarded her, tilting his head slightly. "Of course I do. You're the new talk of Gotham, Catwoman. No one's sure what to make of you."

"That was my intention," she replied.

"But you're working with the Batman," said the Scarecrow. "I heard the conversation you had with him. What will it bring you?"

"That's none of your business," Selina whispered. "What do you want?"

"I don't care about you," he said disinterestedly. "Batman is the only costumed person whom I concern myself with."

"Well, you _should_ be concerned about me," Selina snarled, and leapt onto his back. She knocked him to the ground and pinned him down, digging her knees into his sides and blocking the punches that he was throwing up at her.

"Whose side are you on?" Scarecrow managed to yell.

"My own," Selina hissed.

"Wrong. You'll eventually have to choose. But let me give you a word of warning: those close to the Batman tend to get hurt." He kicked Selina off of him and she jumped to her feet.

But something sprayed her face and she sprung backwards, suddenly unable to see what was going on around her. A shrill scream pierced her ears and she shook her head, trying to fight the sudden dizziness. The air around her shimmered and distorted as she struggled to see properly.

Suddenly, Scarecrow was no longer there. In his place lay Selina's mother, her blank eyes staring up at her and a pool of blood surrounding her body…Selina felt an overwhelming fear course through her body, such as she had never felt before, and tried to stumble away. To her horror, her mother sat up and began to _move_, getting robotically to her feet and walking toward Selina with her hand outstretched and her eyes looking they had come straight from the depths of hell—

Selina was frozen in place, unable to move. Her muscles weren't responding to her commands and she felt physically sick.

A dark shape flew right in front of her face, blocking her mother from view, and just like that the illusion was gone. Selina blinked slowly, trying to regain her strength as she realized that Batman and Scarecrow were fighting, throwing punches at each other and dodging attacks.

But Scarecrow, strong though he was, was no match for Batman, who had him cornered in no time. Selina fought to shake off the effects of the fear toxin as her muddled mind regained its normal state.

Meanwhile, Batman was tying Scarecrow up to the building. He writhed and struggled but was unable to break free. "I'm not the last one, Batman!" he cried. Batman pulled off his burlap sack and the flushed face of Jonathan Crane glared with pure hatred at them. "Remember that!"

When he'd reached a still dazed Selina, Batman asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Selina replied sullenly. "You didn't need to save me." She was embarrassed that she'd been caught at such a vulnerable moment.

The Dark Knight looked calculatingly at her. "You haven't had experience with the fear toxin," he said shortly. "There was no way you would have been able to fight it off."

"Well, I tried to help you," Selina said shortly. "Happy?"

"It's not over yet," Batman cautioned. "I'm keeping my eye on you, Catwoman."

"Which one?" she asked. He made a noise of anger, but Selina leapt up onto the nearest balcony, away from his reach. "Fine," she acquiesced. "I'll keep an eye out for anything strange."

And she was gone.

* * *

><p>The next day was the Christmas charity ball she was attending with Bruce Wayne. She'd even bought a new dress for the occasion—an emerald green gown that matched her eyes.<p>

Of course, Holly was going with Thomas. Selina sat on the couch and watched her friend hurriedly get ready, slipping earrings into her hears and zipping up her dress. "Are you sure you don't want to catch a ride with us?" she asked when the door buzzed.

Selina shook her head. "Bruce is picking me up. Although," she said, looking over at the clock, "He's ten minutes late."

"Don't be too hard on him, please," Holly begged. "He's the host—you can't expect him to be right on time. Just…" she paused and frowned, "…Just stop looking for his faults, all right? It's like you're trying to look for ways to stop seeing him."

Selina glared darkly at her; it was undeniably true. She was wary about entering another relationship—her last one with Jack hadn't ended quite so well. "Then you should do the opposite with Tommy," she replied. "Look for his faults. Believe me, they're there."

Now it was Holly's turn to give her a hard look, and she left without saying goodbye. Selina wasn't worried—her friend could never hold grudges for long.

As the clock slowly ticked away the minutes, she began to get more and more annoyed. Bruce had been exactly on time during their previous dates. What made him suddenly stop trying now?

Selina was just about to call him and demand an explanation when the door buzzed again. Isis and Nyx yowled and tore out of the room; they hated company. She threw open the door, scowling when she saw Bruce standing politely in front of her. "I'm sorry for being late," he said at once. "There was a small problem with the helicopter."

"_Helicopter_?" Selina asked in disbelief. "What helicopter?"

Bruce smirked. "You'll see." He led her up a short flight of stairs to the rooftop, where she was shocked to see a whirring helicopter landed on the roof with the Wayne insignia painted on its side.

"I guess you've gotten bored of the car," Selina said uncertainly as she climbed up the steps to the cockpit. People on the neighboring roofs were pointing at them and heads were sticking curiously out of windows.

"I wanted to arrive in a little more style," Bruce replied as he got in next to her. "People expect something slightly more elaborate."

"I'll say," she muttered as the helicopter took off, flying low over the city.

After a long silence, Bruce ventured, "You look very nice in that dress. It matches your eyes perfectly."

"Thank you," Selina responded, smoothing out the fabric. "You don't look so bad yourself."

His teeth gleamed as he smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

* * *

><p>Wayne Manor was even more crowded than it had been during the housewarming party. The charity they were sponsoring was one for homeless orphans; something that Selina was uncomfortably familiar with. She'd been one, long ago—of course, there was no way she was going to tell Bruce that.<p>

"How many charities do you sponsor?" she asked as they climbed out of the helicopter.

"Lots," Bruce said, which was undoubtedly another way of saying he had no idea.

All eyes were on them the second they walked into the ballroom. Selina immediately noticed the looks of disapproval and disgust on many of the guests' faces, silently chastising Bruce for being late to his own function. And at a charity ball, no less.

As they parted the crowd, Bruce's arm wrapped around hers, Selina heard whispers ranging from, "He only came with _one _woman? I never thought I'd see the day!" to "Who _is _she, anyway?"

There was already a band playing soft, slow music. Bruce pulled Selina into the throng of bodies and they began to dance, Selina hoping it would steer the attention away from them. "Everybody's glaring at you," she whispered into his ear.

"I'm used to it," he replied, placing each of his hands on her waist. "They'll forget about you soon enough."

It quickly became clear that this was a false reassurance. Selina felt herself being scrutinized all night, each aspect of her appearance filed away to be later criticized. She had to keep her body language formal with Bruce, which meant no kissing or even being close. Every move they made was a potential picture to cover the next day's newspaper.

After the dance was over, Bruce began making his rounds of the guests, chatting with the people Selina guessed were the most important. She easily slipped away from him, refusing to be arm candy. She had only caught brief glimpses of Holly and Thomas during the evening, but they had to be around somewhere.

As it turned out, Thomas was the one who found her. "Hello, Selina," he said, dragging Holly over to them. "What happened to Bruce?"

"He's busy," Selina answered brusquely. "Do you want me to get him for you?"

"No, thank you," Thomas said. "Holly tells me you two are getting along well."

"It's rather a personal matter at the moment," Selina said smoothly, hoping he would take it as a sign to back off.

"What's a personal matter?" a familiar voice asked from behind her. Bruce walked up to them, a politely interested expression on his face.

"We were just speaking about your newfound relationship," replied Thomas. "I was marveling about how you've managed to keep your attention on one person for more than a day."

It was a direct insult, and Bruce knew it. His eyes narrowed and he quickly said, "Selina is a special case."

"I see." Thomas took a long sip of his wine and turned to Holly. "We were just discussing the recent goings-on in the city. Have you heard about the new freak in town? They're calling her Catwoman."

Holly suddenly looked very startled. Thomas continued, "No one is sure if she's working with the Batman or not. Personally, I think they're both insane. They should be locked up."

"Is that what they're saying at Arkham?" Selina asked. "I don't think the patients are sources of reliable information."

The hard edge of a glare began in his eyes. "Gotham is going to the dogs. I have half a mind to just move away."

"I'm sure you'll be fine if you don't go out at night," Selina said coldly.

"Touché."

There was a sudden tension in the air around them. A nervous-looking Holly tugged on Thomas's arm and whispered, "Let's go." He gave her a bored look but followed her away, not bothering to acknowledge Bruce or Selina again.

"You don't like him?" Bruce asked in a low voice.

Selina shook her head. "It's a mutual hatred."

"Don't worry, he doesn't like many people," he whispered.

Selina felt something tickle her head and she glanced up to see a bundle of leaves tied above them with a red ribbon. "Mistletoe," she said to Bruce, gesturing to it. Before he could answer, she gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. He smiled down at her.

There was instantly excited snickering and both turned to see a slew of reporters with cameras pointing right at them.

Bruce looked annoyed and started towards the perpetrators, but Selina held him back, not wanting to give him an excuse to look even worse.

Catwoman or not, she knew she would somehow be in the paper the following morning.

* * *

><p><strong>As always, a big thanks to everyone who's reading this!<strong>

**My question of the day is: How do you think the Batman/Catwoman and Bruce/Selina relationship will be portrayed in _The Dark Knight Rises_? Let me know in a review!**


	9. IX

**Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! I love to know what you guys think about the story and about the BatCat relationship in general.**

**My personal opinion is that TDKR will focus more on the possible alliance between Batman and Catwoman than a romantic relationship. I'm sure there are going to be lots of innuendos and flirtations (especially on Catwoman/Selina's side) but right now it's looking like Bruce's serious romantic interest is going to be Miranda Tate rather than Selina. (And if the rumors about Miranda's "real identity" are true, I won't be very happy, because that character is one of the only two people in the Batverse who I absolutely cannot stand).**

* * *

><p>Gotham City on New Year's Eve was always a sight to behold. Millions of people gathered downtown to watch the clock count down to midnight, at which point there was a dazzling display of fireworks and a roar rose up from the assembled citizens.<p>

Selina crouched on an overlooking rooftop, alertly watching the mass of people on the street below. She had passed up her date with Bruce in order to come here and guard the area. Scarecrow's last words echoed in her mind: "I'm not the last one!" What did he mean by that? Did he have a secret army of henchmen biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to attack?

A movement in the street below caught her attention, and she prowled along the edge of the roof, zeroing in on the happenings. A group of men dressed in black had cornered a young girl and one of them was closing in on her.

Growling in anger, Selina leapt off of the edge of the building, plummeting thirty stories to the ground below. She landed on the edge of the wall to stop her fall and then leapt onto the man's shoulders, ignoring his grunt of pain and knocking him to the ground. She threw out her whip and heard a satisfying smack as it caught one of his goons. Somersaulting backward off the first man, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the last one standing, who had pulled out a gun.

"That's enough for tonight, boys," she said to the three unconscious goons lying on the sidewalk before turning to the girl she had just rescued. She couldn't be more than fifteen, wide-eyed and staring.

"What are you waiting for?" Selina asked her. "Go!"

But the girl wasn't looking at her. Her gaze was fixed, terrified, on something behind them.

Selina whirled around, but it was too late. She was jerked upward into the air and the gun that she had stolen from the goon fell to the ground.

The huge, forbidding silhouette of Batman appeared in her field of view. "Got you," he growled.

"Let me _go_," Selina insisted, thrashing her body around as she dangled helplessly in midair. "I was trying to _help_!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl hurry away, looking chalk white. Now the only other witnesses were the unconscious goons strewed over the filthy ground.

"Trying to help _yourself_," Batman corrected, snapping the gun in two and throwing it behind him.

"We have an alliance!" Selina hissed. "You can't turn me in now!"

"Do you work for the mob?" Batman demanded harshly. When she simply smirked at him, he snarled "Answer me!"

"_Someone's _in a bad mood tonight," Selina teased. "Do you not have anyone to kiss, Batman?"

He yanked on the cord that was holding her up again so that she was lowered even farther down, level with his face. "Oh, _fine_," she pouted. "Yes, I work for the mob. That's why I just took out three of their men and stole one of their guns."

"Not even the Chechen?" Batman asked. His face was taking up her entire field of vision, and Selina's eyes fixed on his jaw. It looked strangely recognizable…

He must be assuming that she worked for the Chechen because of her accent. "No," she said smoothly. "You see…I can be Russian, or German, or English…" She switched to each of them as she spoke, smiling widely. Now he would never be able to figure out where she was really from.

Batman let out a snarl of anger as he realized he'd been wrong on her lead all along. He balled his hands into fists and Selina laughed, but the sound was swallowed up by the loud cheer of the crowd streets away and the sky exploded into fireworks.

"Happy New Year, Batman," she purred, and grabbed her chance. She kicked off of the wall to gain agility and pressed her lips firmly against Batman's, feeling a giddy rush soar through her body before he roughly shoved her away, looking disgusted.

This was what she'd expected: the force of his shove sent her spinning away. She tightly yanked the rope that was holding her up and it snapped in two. Selina landed nimbly on her feet meters away from Batman, brandishing her whip. "Some kiss that was," she pretended to complain. "Where was the _passion_?"

"Believe me, it's there," a hoarse but obviously sarcastic voice emanated from the darkest corner of the alleyway and the tall form of a bandaged man appeared out of the shadows. "You just don't _realize _it yet."

"Hush," Batman snarled, and all Selina could see was the swish of his black cape as he leapt onto the man, forcing him backward.

She jumped up onto the wall, gripping the bricks for balance before leaping down onto Hush. Her sudden weight sent him falling to the ground and Batman tore at his bandages. Selina caught a glimpse of a perfectly normal, unblemished cheek before Hush let out a cry of rage and forced Batman off him. Before he could send a punch flying toward Selina, she flipped away and landed safely out of his reach.

"This isn't the end," Hush warned. "This is only the _beginning_. How did you think Scarecrow got free? _I _let him out. And, believe me, Batman…there are worse than the Scarecrow in Arkham."

Selina fully expected Batman to answer with a comeback, but surprisingly the vigilante was silent. With his bandages still hanging loose Hush escaped, knowing that he could not fight with a damaged mask.

"He must have access to Arkham somehow," Selina said. "Should we follow him?"

"Not tonight," Batman growled. He turned his head to look at her and she saw his eyes glittering from behind his cowl. "Go home, Catwoman. I don't want to deal with you anymore tonight."

This was so out of character that Selina didn't have a witty flirtation at the ready. "Don't you want—" she began, but Batman was already gone.

Disheartened and disappointed, she leapt up onto the fire escape, leaving the unconscious men behind her.

* * *

><p>No matter how exhausted or drained he was at the end of the day, Alfred always stayed awake until Bruce came home. He would sit in his chair and listen for his ward's familiar footsteps coming up the stairs. Only then would Alfred finally relax.<p>

Usually Bruce went straight into his room, but tonight his footsteps grew louder until there was a loud knock at Alfred's door. "Are you awake?" Bruce asked.

"I do believe I am, Master Wayne," Alfred said dryly. Bruce opened the door and Alfred noted with some surprise he hadn't even bothered to change out of his costume. His cowl was tucked under his arm and his eyes held a wild light that was mirrored on his flushed face.

"Hush is Tommy Elliott," Bruce said immediately, watching the butler's reaction closely.

Alfred's eyes widened in astonishment. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"When I was fighting him, I ripped some of his bandages off and saw his face. It was only for a second, but I would recognize his face anywhere. It makes sense, Alfred! Hush said that he had Arkham Asylum under his control, and Tommy is now a surgeon at Arkham. That's how Scarecrow escaped."

"Forgive me, Master Wayne, but Mr. Elliot is a very respected surgeon. Why would he conceivably want to cover himself in bandages and fight Batman at night?"

"I don't know," Bruce admitted. "But I have noticed Tommy has been acting strange lately. I don't think he knows I'm Batman."

"So what are you planning to do about it?"

"I want to investigate some more," replied Bruce. He started to put his cowl back on. "I'm going to his house right now—"

"Not tonight, sir," Alfred said sharply. Bruce looked at him in surprise; the butler barely raised his voice. "It's late and you're worn out. It's better to wait until you're rested and in better condition."

The excitement in Bruce's face slowly dissolved. "I guess you're right," he grudgingly conceded. "I'll tell Selina that I'll be away for a couple of days, just in case things go wrong."

Alfred nodded. "You need to get your strength up."

Just as Bruce was about to leave, the butler asked with an amused smile on his face, "If you don't mind me prying, sir…what exactly is on your lips?"

"My—oh." Bruce wiped his mouth and glared distastefully at the smudge of lipstick on his hand. "Catwoman was there tonight too. I don't know which side she's on. It's frustrating."

"So you decided to patch things up?" Alfred asked slyly.

"She kissed me," Bruce muttered. "I had nothing to do with it."

"I see. Just make sure you don't tell Miss Kyle about it," Alfred replied with a smirk. Bruce grimaced as he walked out of the room.

But he hadn't told Alfred the entire truth. When Catwoman had kissed him, he'd enjoyed it—even if it was only for a split second. Then he felt horribly guilty for betraying Selina that way. As long as he stayed away from Catwoman, he would be fine. That might mean breaking their alliance, but he strongly suspected she would do it first if it meant things would work out for her. Why couldn't he do the same? She was a criminal, after all.

"That's a loose definition of the word _criminal_," she would purr. Bruce glared at himself in the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to push all thoughts of Catwoman—and Selina Kyle—out of his mind.


	10. X

**This chapter isn't very long, I'm afraid, but it's quite crucial to the plot. The next one will be much longer.**

**To the anonymous reviewer Patricia-I don't mind answering your questions at all! **

**1) Bruce and Selina are both twenty-nine at this point in the story. I know the ages are slightly off from what they were in the movies (I think Bruce is thirty or thirty-one in TDK), but I wanted them to be slightly younger. **

**2) According to the comics, Bruce's birthday is February 19 and Selina's is March 14, so that's what I'll be going with as well.**

**3) Bruce is 6'2" and Selina is 5'9", but she wears very high heels as Catwoman so that she's almost (but not quite) as tall as Batman.**

**I hope I answered your questions adequately!**

* * *

><p>The jarring ring of her phone the next morning interrupted Selina's dream where she had finally cornered Hush. Groaning in annoyance, she reached out her arm and snatched the phone, fully prepared to throw it across the room. But when she caught sight of Bruce's number on the display screen she stopped, probably just in time. Why was he calling her at nine A.M.?<p>

"Hello?" she asked slowly, feeling pain shoot through her face as she spoke. Her cheek was still bruised from Hush's punch.

"Selina, I have to leave town," Bruce said immediately, sounding agitated. "I just received word that an old friend of my father's who lives in Australia passed away, and I want to attend his funeral. I'm sorry, but I'll have to cancel our plans tonight."

"Oh—okay," she replied, frowning.

"I shouldn't be gone for more than a week," Bruce continued. "I'll call you as soon as I get back."

"All right. Have fun," she said, smirking dryly, and hung up. She was admittedly disappointed that their date was canceled, but at least that gave her more time to sleep so she could stay out longer during the nights. Maybe next time _she _would be the one chasing Batman instead of the other way around. If she was stealthy enough, she might even be able to follow him back to wherever he lived and discover who he was. It was more than likely he was just an ordinary man underneath the cowl; an ex-Marine or cop perhaps. He had to have undertaken some sort of training to be able to fight as effectively as he could, and the suit as well as the Tumbler were definitely not items one could simply buy at the store. He had to have lots of connections. Maybe he knew someone in the government that smuggled the items to him.

Yawning, with dozens of speculations swimming in her mind, Selina put down her phone and almost instantly fell right back to sleep.

* * *

><p>"I'm going over to Tommy's," Bruce announced as soon as he ended the call.<p>

"Just like that, sir?" Alfred asked dubiously. The young Wayne was dressed in his trademark Armani suit; hardly an appropriate outfit for investigating a potential psychopath.

Bruce nodded. "He'll expect Batman, but he won't expect me. I'm going to see what I can find out."

"Be careful, Master Wayne," Alfred said worriedly. "Call me if there's any trouble."

He smirked, confident in his own abilities. "I will."

As Alfred watched the Lamborghini roar out of the drive, he couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling that something was going to go very, very wrong.

* * *

><p>Holly's startled shriek jerked Selina out of her sleep several hours later. She was on her feet at once, ignoring the dizziness that shot through her head at the sudden movement.<p>

"What is it?" she asked urgently, racing into the next room.

Holly pointed wordlessly at the TV, her other hand over her mouth in alarm. She stared up at Selina with anxious eyes.

The logo of the GCN flashed across the screen, with the announcer Mike Engel fidgeting uncomfortably. "…the tape which has just been sent to me by an unknown source," he was saying. "We are trying our hardest to track down the perpetrator…"

His words were drowned out as the screen cut to an entirely different room. Bruce Wayne was sitting in the corner of what looked like a jail cell, tied up with yellow rope. A gag was stuffed in his mouth and he struggled to break free when he saw he was being filmed. Selina watched in true horror as a bandaged figure knelt down and stared at the camera, eyes gleeful. "Hush," she breathed.

"Hello, Gotham!" Hush said in a falsely cheerful voice. "In case you haven't noticed, I've got the wonderful Bruce Wayne tied up right here, ready to be, er, _dispatched _at a moment's notice." He brandished a glittering silver knife and pressed it against Bruce's throat. "In exactly twelve hours, Gotham's prince will cease to exist…unless Batman comes to save him."

"_Batman_?" Holly asked, but Selina impatiently shushed her.

"You heard that right, folks!" Hush was saying. "If, in twelve hours, Batman has not shown up, then Mr. Wayne here will be reunited with his parents. So, Batman, you'd better sort out your priorities soon. Oh—to find me, just look for a clue where we first met." He chuckled.

And with a mere flick of his wrist, he snapped Bruce's leg in two.

Holly screamed, but Selina was frozen in shock. Bruce let out a half-strangled groan that somehow seemed to cause Selina actual physical pain, and collapsed forward, falling offscreen.

The video crackled and blacked out, leaving Mike Engel sitting at his desk with a very green expression. "You—if someone knows who this man is or any information, please contact the GCPD…"

"Bruce," she whispered. How had Hush found him? Perhaps he'd heard about the trip and intercepted him on his way to the airport.

"Selina? Where are you going?" Holly asked in confusion as Selina sprinted back into her room.

"To get dressed," she called, and was back out in under a minute with the catsuit on.

"But it's the middle of the day," Holly said, eyes widening. "You're going to go out as Catwoman _now?"_

"Yes!" Selina exclaimed. She tried not to betray the fact that that her heart was hammering like she'd never felt it before, the sound of Bruce's moan of pain still resonating in her skull. "I have to save Bruce, whether Batman is with me or not."

"Where will you know where to look? Didn't he say there would be a clue where they first met?"

"Believe me," Selina said, "I know exactly where Hush is talking about."

"_Hush?"_

"I'll explain later," Selina replied. She pulled on her goggles and opened the windowsill, crawling out onto the balcony. "Don't let Tommy trash the place."

Before Holly could splutter out another question, she was gone.


	11. XI

**_The Dark Knight Rises_ comes out in 17 days! I can't wait! :D**

**I hope I'm keeping Selina and Bruce in character. Please let me know if you think something they say or do is OOC. I won't take it as a flame, I promise! (Unless it really /is/ a flame...)**

* * *

><p>On her way to the rooftop where Hush had first placed the Bat signal weeks before, Selina came across one of the WANTED posters for Batman that the police had recently started placing around the city. She ripped it off the post and the pieces fluttered to the ground, soon undistinguishable from the snow that was silently falling overhead.<p>

She reached the rooftop in record time and prowled around the perimeter, searching for any sign of Batman. She wasn't sure how to reconcile the two men in her life: she was strongly attracted to both and seeing them together would certainly be odd.

But that was the least of her worries at the moment. Selina hated feeling so dependent, but she couldn't deny the worry she felt every time she thought of Bruce lying injured in Hush's lair. She was sure that Hush wouldn't hesitate to kill him once the twelve hours were up.

After a minute of searching the area, she found a slip of paper with an address on it tucked between two bricks. Selina knew its location—in the heart of the Narrows, not too far from where she currently was. She crumpled up the paper in her hand and hovered out of sight, all the while searching for the familiar intimidating figure of Batman.

But there was no sign of him as the minutes slowly ticked by. Selina was growing more and more impatient; was he planning to sit this one out? Did he feel Bruce Wayne wasn't important enough to be saved?

Finally, the waiting began to grow unbearable. She couldn't take it anymore—she would just have to do this one by herself. Selina stuffed the paper back where she had found it just in case Batman did eventually show up, and dove off the building, heading straight to the place where she knew Hush waited.

The address led to a gray, nondescript apartment building that had evidently fallen into disrepair years ago. Selina crept along the wall, peering in all of the windows. They were coated with dust and mold inches thick, making it impossible to see inside.

She finally found an unlocked window near the bottom of the building—the basement? Crouching down beside it, Selina tried to rub the filth off with her glove, but it stubbornly stayed caked on. She nudged it open and cautiously stuck her head inside, but the room was in total darkness.

Since Hush hadn't attempted to attack her yet, she figured she was safe for the moment. Throwing all caution to the winds, Selina noiselessly slipped in through the crack, landing lightly on her feet.

It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light, and she gradually realized she was in a concrete cell, with the tiny window the only means of letting light into the room. There appeared to be no door to speak of.

Her eyes caught on a dark shape huddled in the corner. Bruce lifted his head up and stared at her, shock plainly visible on his face. His right leg was spread out at an awkward angle.

Selina wanted to make sure he was all right, but she couldn't risk revealing herself. Instead she took a step towards him and asked, "Where is he?"

"Behind you," Bruce whispered.

Selina whirled around—Hush was within arm's reach, looming over her. He'd been hiding in the corner all along. "Well, well, well," he said, his bandages twisting as he smiled. "I was hoping you would be able to make it."

He shut the window with a loud snap, and Selina started. It was a trap-he'd known all along that she would come to save Bruce, whether or not Batman was with her. But how-?

Before Selina could attack him, Hush grabbed her by the neck and twisted her arm, keeping her locked in his grip. She struggled and twisted, but he was holding her in such a way that if she tried to escape she would surely break something.

"Getting impatient for Batman to show up?" Hush hissed. "I'm afraid you'll be waiting a very long time, kitty."

"He'll come," Selina said fiercely. "I know him."

Hush threw back his head and laughed—only it wasn't a laugh at all. It sounded like he was merely mimicking a laugh he'd heard before and had no idea what the emotion really meant. "Do you?" he asked. "Do you know the Batman that well? You haven't even figured out who he is yet. I should think it's…_obvious_."

Bruce made a noise of protest and tried to crawl forward, but his broken leg prevented him from moving very far. Selina almost said something but held her tongue at the last moment.

"What _if_…" Hush said slowly, relishing the looks of horror on his captives' faces, "What if Batman never shows up, because Batman is _Bruce Wayne_."

"No," Selina answered at once, but it was only a knee-jerk reaction—a response as much of belief as it was disbelief, because the mysteries surrounding Bruce Wayne suddenly clicked into place—everything made sense—

"Oh, but it's true, kitty cat," Hush confirmed. "Batman can't save himself, now can he?"

On the floor, Bruce made a noise that sounded like a cross between an insult and a plea. Selina stared at him, frozen, half-wanting to laugh at the sheer irony of it all but knowing she couldn't.

Hush jerked her face toward his. "I think you will be just as surprised when you see who your lady love really is, Bruce," he said smoothly. Before Selina could muster any kind of defense, he had ripped her goggles and cowl right off her face, sending her hair tumbling down her back.

Bruce's eyes widened in recognition and astonishment. "Selina?" he asked.

"I knew your girlfriend would come and find you," Hush replied smugly. "Now, you have eight hours to do whatever you wish. Exchange some romantic last words, perhaps? Unless, of course, Batman and Catwoman are going to save you…" With another hollow, forced laugh, he shoved Selina in Bruce's direction before placing his hand on a seemingly random portion of the wall. Selina heard the scrape of metallic bolts being unlatched and the entire wall slid open to reveal a doorway. Hush strode out without a backward glance and the concrete opening closed with another loud groan.

For a long moment, the room was silent as the two of them stared at each other while they tried to accept the new revelations. Selina couldn't help it; she started laughing. It was difficult to connect the two identities, not when they were so separate in her mind. "What is it?" asked Bruce, looking frustrated.

"It's just—" she began, "—I would never have guessed _you _were Batman."

"That was my intention," he breathed, closing his eyes and leaning against the wall.

Selina knew there would be more time to take it all in later. Right now she had to concentrate on finding a way to escape. "Can you walk?"

Bruce tried to struggle to his feet, putting all his weight on his good leg. Selina could tell he was in a great deal of pain, but the only thing that betrayed him was his white knuckles. "All right," she said slowly. "I think I can figure something out."

He watched her warily as she paced around the room, looking for cracks in the window or a weak spot in the wall. "Why did you come here anyway?" Selina asked.

"I figured out Hush's identity last night," Bruce said, and she remembered Batman's sudden disappearance. "Alfred told me to wait until today and I went to Tommy's house like this—"

"Tommy's house?"

"Yes. Hush is Tommy," Bruce replied. Selina frowned, deliberating. She wasn't stunned—she'd always had a bad feeling about Tommy—but she didn't think he was _that_ evil.

"I thought he wouldn't suspect anything," continued Bruce, "But he knew who I was. I have no idea how he figured it out. He knocked me unconscious with some sort of anaesthetic and I woke up here."

"You should have told me," Selina scolded. "I would have gone with you."

"I thought you were going to go back on the alliance," Bruce said, breathing shallowly as he tried to move his injured leg.

"Well, I wasn't," Selina snapped. She turned to the window, which was sealed shut and, she saw, had several thick layers of glass protecting it. "I suppose you don't have a cell phone?"

Bruce shook his head. "Tommy took it." A gleam of hope was suddenly visible in his eyes. "Do you?"

"No," Selina said, cursing under her breath. "Holly wanted me to take mine…but I figured I didn't need it." She pulled the only items she had out of her pocket: her whip, the cat o'nine tails, a knife, and her goggles.

"You carry a _knife_?" Bruce asked, a slight accusing tone in his voice.

"Only for self-defense," Selina retorted. "I've never killed anyone, Bruce."

He gave her a look that was so reminiscent of Batman it was unnerving. Selina finally realized that his airheaded, playboy image was a sham, carefully constructed so that no one would suspect who he really was. She had fallen for it herself. But here he was, sacrificing _himself_ so that he could try to keep Gotham safe. She felt a rush of awe, and something else that she couldn't quite place but was just as powerful.

But this wasn't the time for appreciation. She could wonder over Bruce and his alter ego later. Now she had to concentrate on ways of getting them out of there. "This knife," she said, holding it up, "might save your life, so I wouldn't knock it just yet."

Feeling Bruce's watchful eyes on her back, she walked over to the window and stuck her knife into the crack between the pane and the wall, feeling the edge of the blade pressing into the empty space. She twisted it until she heard something break. Grinning smugly, she did the same to the other side of the window, sawing away at the locks until she felt the second one snap. Unfortunately, when she pulled the knife back she was only holding the handle. "There goes that," she muttered, sticking it back into her pocket. Then she pulled the window open and a rush of buried snow fell into the room.

Bruce was staring at her with a look of amazement. Selina felt a great pleasure at his gaze, but she kept her face grim. "I guess I don't have to tell you to be quiet," she said briskly. "I'll help you out."

She ducked under his right arm and he leaned on her as they slowly hobbled toward the window. , Electricity rushed through her veins as she felt Bruce—Batman—pressing into her. It was intensely satisfying, knowing that he was almost completely defenceless and at her mercy. She craved that type of power.

When they reached the window, Selina coiled up like a cat and leapt up onto the sill, feeling the blessed relief of cold air. She opened up the window wide enough so that Bruce would be able to fit though and turned back to him. Holding out her hands, she murmured, "Trust me."

He hesitated, and Selina wondered how many times he'd been betrayed when others had said that to him. She could feel the tension in his body as he deliberated, most likely considering Catwoman's dubious morality, but she grabbed his hands and pulled him up, using every last bit of her strength.

Her hands were shaking halfway through, but Bruce, sensing her faltering strength, used his good leg as leverage, tumbling onto the snow.

"Let's go," Selina urged, pulling him to his feet. She kept glancing backwards, terrified Hush was pursuing them. How long would it take before he discovered they were gone?

Bruce wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they staggered toward the street, but they had barely reached the road when she heard footsteps and a shape materialized out of the corner of her eye: Hush had appeared, looking absolutely livid and brandishing a gun. She let out a cry of alarm, but it was too late: there was a deafening bang and Bruce collapsed to the ground.

Selina reacted without thinking: she took a flying leap at Hush, knocking the gun out of his hand. She began to punch wherever she could reach, scratching his exposed mouth with her claws. Hush let out a howl of pain and fell to his knees. Selina kicked him right in the groin and he doubled over, falling to the ground. Stomping on his face with the heel of her boot, she bashed his head in until he was completely unconscious. At that point, she didn't care if she killed him or not.

When she was satisfied he no longer posed an immediate threat, she turned around and sprinted back to where Bruce lay facedown in a pool of crimson blood. Selina raised his head up; he'd been shot in the shoulder. He must have ducked just in time so that the bullet missed his head.

"Can you hear me?" she whispered. His eyes focused on her, his face creased in pain.

"Go," he managed to say. "Save…yourself."

Selina shook her head. "No," she muttered. "Hush is unconscious." She glanced toward the bandaged body lying in the snow twenty feet away. "I'll be back, all right? I'm going to call Alfred."

Bruce managed to nod; he tried to sit up but fell back down with a wince of pain. "Be careful, Selina."

"I should have said the same to you," she replied smartly. "Stay here."

A tiny smirk graced his lips. "I'll try."

He couldn't be fatally wounded if he was able to joke, Selina thought as she pulled her goggles on and leapt up onto the nearest building. All she could count on was Hush staying unconscious for a few more minutes.

There was an apartment complex a block away. Selina slipped in through the first door she could find, where a teenage boy was sitting alone in a kitchen, fast asleep, with drool congealing in a puddle on the book his head was resting on. There was a cell phone lying on the counter. As Selina reached for it, his eyes opened and he quickly wiped the drool off his face. "Who are you?" he stuttered, his eyes still heavy with drowsiness.

"A figment of your imagination," Selina replied. "Go back to sleep."

Apparently deciding that the only way a woman dressed in a catsuit could possibly be in his apartment was in a dream, his head drooped back onto the table. Smirking, Selina grabbed his cell phone and wasted no time in jumping back out the kitchen window. She would return it…eventually.

As she rushed back toward Bruce, she flipped the phone open and dialed as fast as she could.

Alfred answered on the first ring, his voice strained and nearly unrecognizable. "Wayne Manor."

"Alfred, it's Selina," she said in a low voice. "I need your help."


	12. XII

**I think this is my longest chapter yet! I hope you enjoy this one!**

* * *

><p>By the time Selina got back to Bruce, Hush was gone. She dropped to her knees next to him and brushed the snow away from his face. "Did you see him leave?" she whispered.<p>

Bruce lifted up his uninjured arm and gestured to his nose, which was now gushing blood. "He said…he'd take care of us later," he muttered, sounding weaker than Selina had ever heard him.

"All right," she said, trying to staunch the flow of blood. "Alfred is on his way."

Bruce managed to lift himself up into a sitting position, but Selina had to hold him up. He was dangerously pale and looked close to passing out.

When a silver Aston Martin pulled up at the curb, Selina breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad the area was deserted—at least Hush had been smart enough to trap them somewhere no one would ever guess.

Alfred showed no trace of surprise at seeing her in a catsuit; instead, he wordlessly helped her take Bruce by the arms and lift him into the backseat of the car. Selina looked nervously at him; he was breathing shallowly and seemed barely conscious. Wrapping his wounded arm in a towel, she looked over at Alfred.

"What happened, miss?" he asked.

Selina paused, but she knew she had to trust the butler. He must know that Bruce was Batman, and he deserved an explanation, so she quickly described what had happened. Alfred nodded, looking grim. "You're not surprised?" she finally had to ask. "That I'm…that I'm Catwoman?"

"I've seen enough things in my life so that very little surprises me now, Miss Kyle," he said. Selina saw the worry and nervousness written plainly across his face. He must be too worried about Bruce to deal with her.

As the Aston Martin zoomed through the slumbering streets, Selina turned back to Bruce. A sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead and the lines of his face were creased as if in pain. The blood from his bullet wound had soaked right through the towel and his right leg was sprawled in an unnatural position across the backseat.

Selina, still hyped up on adrenaline, had no idea what to do. What would become of her and Bruce's relationship now that their secrets were out? Now that he knew she was Catwoman, would he want to sever all ties with her? The thought hurt more than she wanted to acknowledge. On the other hand, she had to realize the sheer irony of the fact that the two men she'd singled out in Gotham were one and the same. Selina couldn't stop a humorless laugh from escaping her mouth. Bruce Wayne was Batman. Well, at least that explained why she hadn't seen him drinking alcohol the night she'd first met him.

When Alfred pulled into Wayne Manor, Selina helped him carry Bruce out of the car. "You didn't want to take him to the hospital?" she asked.

The butler shook his head. "He's in a delirium, miss. I don't want to risk him saying something in front of the staff. Besides, I've had a few years of medical training myself."

Selina wasn't taken aback in the least; like Bruce, Alfred had much more to him than he let on.

Inside, they carried him upstairs to a bedroom with a towering bookshelf and a roaring fireplace in the corner. There was a table filled with what appeared to be surgical instruments by the door. "Why is this here?" Selina asked, looking around at all the decorations.

"Master Bruce often comes home injured," Alfred explained. He gently unwrapped the towel from Bruce's shoulder and took a knife from the table, neatly cutting a hole around the wound.

"Miss, would you mind holding him still while I administer the anesthetic?" he asked. Selina walked around to Bruce's side and held his shoulder tightly while Alfred filled up a syringe with a clear liquid and inserted it into his arm. Bruce jerked slightly, but his eyes stayed closed.

Throwing the syringe into a nearby garbage can, Alfred bent over Bruce's shoulder. Selina held the torn fabric of his suit open while the butler took out a pair of tweezers and gently lifted the bullet from his skin. Selina quickly staunched the bleeding and watched grimly as Alfred began to sew up the wound.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" she asked.

"I'm sure he will be," Alfred replied without looking up. "He has dealt with almost every wound imaginable in his life."

Selina guessed he was referring to emotional wounds as well as physical. She sighed and pursed her lips, wondering how on earth she was supposed to get herself out of this one.

After Alfred had put Bruce's leg in a cast, he lowered him gently back onto the bed. The billionaire didn't even stir as the covers were tucked up around him.

"How about a late-night cup of tea, Miss Kyle?" he asked gently. Selina nodded, tearing her gaze off Bruce, and followed Alfred downstairs to the kitchen where he began to prepare their drinks.

"I'm not sure if Hush will come back here, now that he knows Bruce escaped," she said.

"I don't think he will," Alfred said, handing her a steaming cup of tea. "He wouldn't try to attack while reporters are swarming around on the grounds, and it seems that you scratched him up pretty badly."

It was quiet for a long moment as they sipped their drinks. Selina cupped her hands around the mug, feeling its warmth seep into her hands. "Why haven't you thrown me out yet?" she asked.

Alfred looked surprised. "Why would I, Miss Kyle?"

"I'm…I'm Catwoman," she whispered. "According to Batman, I'm a criminal and should be locked up in Arkham. He's spent the last three months trying to catch me."

"Ah, but you are Master Bruce's girlfriend," Alfred replied. "You saved his life earlier tonight, at great personal risk. I don't think that classifies you as someone I should order off the premises. That is to say, as long as you do not plan on taking off with any of our prized items."

The corners of Selina's mouth turned up in a smile. "Believe me, that's the _last _thing on my mind."

It was true. Aside from the pearl necklace, she had never felt the desire to steal anything from Wayne Manor—even less so now that she knew the whole story. She wouldn't steal for the sake of stealing. She was more than just a cat burglar.

"Would you like to stay here tonight?" Alfred offered. "I assume it would be safer for you."

Selina nodded. "I should call Holly and let her know I won't be back until tomorrow."

"Why not invite her over too?" he asked. "Since she was close with Mr. Elliot, she is probably high on his list of potential targets."

Selina hadn't thought of that. "Tommy might use her to get back at me," she realized. "She might be in more danger than I am right now."

Alfred handed her a phone and she dialed their apartment. Holly answered on the first ring. "Selina? Where are you?" she asked, sounding breathless.

"I'm at Wayne Manor," she answered. "Listen, Holly, it isn't safe for you there."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's not safe for you at the apartment," Selina repeated more firmly. "Get your things together and Alfred will pick you up in half an hour. Bring Isis and Nyx to Mrs. Hopkins two floors down. She'll take care of them."

"Are you all right?" Holly asked, but Selina had already hung up.

"Thank you so much for doing this," she said to Alfred. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"You saved Master Bruce's life," the butler replied solemnly. "You have no idea how much that means to _me_."

They smiled at each other and when she was finished her tea, he showed her up to the same bedroom she'd spent the last night she'd stayed at the manor.

"Should I send Miss Robinson up to you?" Alfred asked.

Selina nodded and the butler left, promising he would be back soon.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep, so she sat cross-legged on her bed and pondered the events of that night. How had Tommy known that Bruce was Batman? How had he known that she was Catwoman? Thinking of Holly made her feel angry. Tommy had deliberately led her on and there was no telling where he was now.

And he was planning on killing Bruce…Batman. "Bruce Wayne is Batman," Selina whispered, smirking. The only consolation was that she was sure Bruce would be able to defend himself—or not, considering his current condition.

Now that she was over the initial shock, it began to make more sense. It certainly provided an explanation for Bruce's odd quirks, the way he occasionally seemed like he was hiding something …and the way he'd always abruptly ended their dates at midnight. When he was pretending to be the careless playboy, with girls hanging off his arms, did he leave _them _at midnight? Or did he bring them back to Wayne Manor and—Selina was too angry to finish the thought. She couldn't recall reading anything that elaborated on the subject in the newspapers, though the journalists often liked to suggest that multiple women were seen leaving the manor at least twice a week. How did Alfred stand for it?

_Maybe Bruce sends the women off to _him_, _she thought, and had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing out loud.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps on the stairs and a hesitant knock at her door. Selina opened it to see a pale, uncertain Holly. "I have no idea what's going on," she complained.

Selina looked behind her at Alfred, who gave an encouraging nod. "You might want to sit down, Holly, because it will be a long story."

She told her everything that had happened with Batman and Hush in the past months—excluding the fact that Bruce was Batman. Selina felt that wasn't her secret to tell.

Holly looked as if she was about to cry when Selina finished. "So…so Tommy is evil?" she whispered. "What about me? Why was he so interested in me?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. But he knows who I am, and he knows where we live. You're in danger if you stay at the apartment."

"But I—"

"Don't say you loved him, Holly," Selina interjected warningly. "You've known him all of three months. _Don't_."

"I didn't," Holly retorted, slightly defensively. "I just thought…I thought maybe he was actually interested in _me._"

Selina stopped in the middle of her next sentence, the words dying down in her throat. What could she possibly say to that? She had no right to tell Holly to stop being a prostitute, but she couldn't think of many decent men who wouldn't mind being in a serious relationship with one.

After a tense silence, Holly changed the subject. "So how long are we staying here?" she ventured.

"I'm not sure," Selina replied. "But we definitely have to move out of that apartment. I'll start looking tomorrow."

Holly nodded. "How's Bruce?"

"He's probably still out of it," Selina said wryly. "Tommy—Hush—did a lot of damage. I'm not sure when he'll be back to normal."

A disconcerting thought suddenly occurred to her. With a broken leg, Batman would be out of commission for at least a couple of months. With Hush still on the loose and able to release Arkham inmates, who would protect the city?

Selina's original intention had been to balance the thin line between good and evil. Like Batman, she was against killing, but unlike him, she would do the deed if it ultimately came down to it. He looked for ways to protect the innocent; she looked for ways to attack the perpetrators. He saw thievery, even from mobsters and those that didn't deserve it, like Tommy, as wrong; she saw no problem in it. It was obvious that their moral codes clashed on some occasions.

Selina had started out as being firmly against Batman and it had slowly morphed into gray until she was neither for him or against him; now, it looked as if she would have to choose a clear-cut side. The Scarecrow had been right.

But Bruce would want her to reform herself, she was sure. He would want her to stop her thievery and become, essentially, a female version of him. Selina couldn't do that. She wouldn't become a copy of Batman.

So how was she supposed to choose?

* * *

><p>Fortunately, Holly had brought several of Selina's outfits along with her. She slipped out of the catsuit and into a more comfortable shirt and sweatpants. Holly had fallen asleep on Selina's bed. Sighing, Selina tucked the covers up around her and glanced at the clock. It was just after two A.M and she wasn't tired in the least. Normally at this time she would be jumping across rooftops and waiting for Batman to chase her. There was no point in going out tonight; not when he was two rooms down the hall.<p>

Selina stood up and left the bedroom, stopping on her way by Bruce's room. She gently cracked the door ajar to see that he was still lying in bed, his expression pained even in unconsciousness. Alfred was changing the dressing on his bandaged shoulder. Selina couldn't deny that the butler cared for him very much and she felt glad that there was an unbreakable bond between the two of them. Alfred must have been a father figure for Bruce when his parents died. Selina wished she had someone like that while she was growing up—_she'd _been the mother figure for Maggie.

She continued on down the hallway, not entirely sure where she was going. A door at the end led to a sitting-room with huge picture windows. Lights from outside shone into the room and, curious, Selina went over to the window to see what the commotion was.

At least a hundred cars were parked at the gate of Wayne Manor. Reporters, journalists, and news anchors were standing around in large groups. Some had cameras trained on the house and others looked as if they were trying to get through the gate. The news of Bruce Wayne's abduction had clearly spread throughout the entire city.

Selina wondered when Alfred or Bruce would release a statement saying that he was back at the manor. It looked as if there would be no other way to chase away the reporters.

She curled up on the sill of the window and rested her head against the cold glass, half-wishing she had stayed in Paris and never come back to Gotham at all.

* * *

><p>When Selina stirred next, it was bright outside and the sun was shining onto her face. She opened her eyes and stretched, noticing with wry amusement that the crowd outside was still present.<p>

Holly was nowhere to be seen, so Selina assumed she must be downstairs. She went to the kitchen where she did, indeed, find her friend talking with Alfred.

"...And when Master Bruce was four years old, he nearly killed me trying to mimic a movie he'd seen…" the butler was saying.

Holly laughed. "I can't believe that! He sounds like he was a great kid, despite the newspapers saying otherwise."

"Speaking of newspapers, half the city is outside waiting for him," Selina said. "It looks like you'll have to use the back entrance for a while."

"That's no problem," Alfred said. "It's happened many times before."

He'd prepared them a breakfast of eggs and waffles. Not realizing how hungry she'd been, Selina cleared her plate and drank a cup of coffee before asking, "How is Bruce doing?"

"He's a little groggy, but awake," Alfred replied. "Would you like to bring breakfast up to him?" He must have seen the eagerness in her eyes and knew that the two of them had a lot to talk about.

Selina grabbed the tray he offered her and, flashing a smile at Holly, went upstairs to Bruce's room. She nudged the door open with her foot and walked over to him.

He was sitting up, staring at his bandaged leg with a mixture of anger and regret. "Cat got your tongue?" Selina teased, dropping the tray onto his lap.

"You're still here," he said in surprise.

"Of course I am," she snorted. "Where else would I go? Mr. Mummy is probably in my apartment right now."

Bruce looked stunned. "Have they said anything on the news?"

"I'm assuming not, since it looks like every member of the press is parked outside the manor." Selina grinned. "It must be refreshing to know that so many people care about your plight."

"Care about the money, more like." Bruce turned his head to look at his injured arm. "Alfred did a good job this time," he mused.

"I helped," Selina couldn't stop herself from saying. "Although I had to resist the temptation to ask if he could cut your entire suit off."

He raised his eyebrows. "Now I don't only have to worry about you stealing heirlooms, I have to worry about being assaulted while sleeping."

"Oh, get over yourself," Selina snapped. "I'm not going to steal your things. I only steal from people who don't deserve it."

Bruce still looked suspicious. "So that heist in Sydney a few years back from a recently opened art gallery…those people didn't deserve that painting? Or that robbery in Madrid? I've done extensive background checks on you…Catwoman."

"Don't you dare talk to me about morality, Bruce Wayne," Selina hissed. "I _told _you that you could never understand my motivations. You see the world in black and white, good and evil. I see it in shades of gray. Good people do bad things and bad people do good things."

Bruce's eyes flashed. "Your actions are the ultimate decider, no matter who you are underneath." He tried to stand up, but his wounded arm prevented him from moving and the tray fell from the bed. Her reflexes kicking in, Selina grabbed it before it could shatter on the floor.

They both were frozen, simply staring at each other until Selina sighed, setting the tray back on the bed. "So what do we do now?" she asked in a quieter voice. "Bruce Wayne breaks up with his first steady girlfriend—ever?"

He was silent for a long time. "I care about you, Selina," he finally replied. "You reminded me that there was a life to be had outside of Batman, and I'm grateful for that. But…you should be in jail by now."

"You haven't turned me in, though," she said. "You had many chances...long before you knew who I was. Why didn't you?"

"I don't know," Bruce said starkly. "I was…fascinated by you, I guess." He grimaced. "But you saved my life."

Selina nodded. "I hate to say it, but I care about you too, Bruce. I wasn't going to sit back and watch you die."

"So are we going to keep the alliance or not?" he asked. There was something pleading in his eyes, but Selina couldn't tell what he wanted the answer to be.

She thought about it, until she realized that there was never an option, not really. Even though she'd had many chances, she hadn't carried out a heist or robbed an art gallery since she'd come back to Gotham and met Batman. Had he changed her? She hoped not. "I don't think there really needs to be an alliance," she said. "I'll help you as long as you continue doing what you've been doing."

"Which is what?"

"Keeping a blind eye when it comes to me."

* * *

><p>When she went back downstairs, Holly and Alfred were still exchanging stories about wealthy people they'd met. "I'm going to go out for a while," Selina said.<p>

"Why?" Holly asked.

"I'm going to keep a lookout," she replied. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Be careful, Miss Kyle," Alfred warned. "It's dangerous out there, and if Hush catches you…"

"I can do this," Selina said decisively. "I'm not called the escape artist for nothing. Batman may be stronger, but I'm better at wiggling my way out of difficult places."

"Maybe Batman will help you," Holly suggested. "He might feel bad for not showing up to help Bruce yesterday."

Selina and Alfred exchanged a look. "It's all right," Selina told him. "Bruce said it was fine to tell Holly."

"Tell me what?"

"Miss Robinson," Alfred said, a slight smirk on his face, "Bruce Wayne _is _Batman."

Holly's eyes widened in astonishment, her blue eyes boring into Selina's. "He _is_?" she gasped. "How long have you known this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just found out yesterday," Selina answered. "_Now _do you understand how important this is, Holly?"

Her friend nodded, mouth still open in an "O". "What's the coincidence that you two would find each other?"

"I was just marveling over the same thing," Alfred replied. He looked as if he was about to say something else but stopped himself before he could get the words out.

"I'll be back within a few hours," Selina said. She hurried back upstairs to change into the catsuit and was halfway out the window when she thought of Bruce. Something compelled her to tell him where she was going.

Bruce was watching TV with half-glazed eyes and kept looking down at his propped-up leg. He frowned when he saw her.

"Selina, can you please take off your glasses?" he mumbled. "I'm feeling a bit…exposed."

She smirked but lifted up her glasses, perching on the edge of his bed. "I'm going to look for Tommy," she said.

Bruce immediately shook his head. "It's too dangerous," he exclaimed.

Selina rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to confront him. I just want to find out where he is so I'll have a plan of attack for next time. Do you think I'm just going to sit back while he releases more prisoners out of Arkham? What if it's the Joker next time?"

"I'll deal with that," he answered.

"Like you are _now_? You won't be able to get back into the suit for at least another three months. Face it, Bruce, you need help."

He grimaced. "Selina…"

"I know what I'm doing," she said, standing up. "You can't stop me from going."

"It figures," Bruce said quietly, "That the woman I fall for turns out to be my enemy."

Selina stiffened, unsure what to make of his words. "It figures," she replied, "That the man _I _fall for turns out to be the most stubborn jerk in existence."

He managed a weak smile. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Both," Selina said. "But I like complications." She bent over and kissed him lightly on the lips, imagining his smirk.

"Speaking of which," Bruce said when she pulled away, "You should have told me about Batman." When Selina gave him a blank look, he explained, "Remember the kiss on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh," she laughed. "That was just to get away from you. I had to surprise you, and that was the best option."

"I'll say," Bruce muttered.

She walked over to the window and slid it open, searching for the best landing spot. "I'll let you know what happens today."

"What are you going to do if someone spots you and asks what happened to me?" Bruce asked.

Selina grinned. "I had nothing to do with it. Batman saved you."

Bruce looked shocked for a second, and then his face broke out into a bright smile. Selina winked at him and dropped outside.


	13. XIII

**As of today, this story is now completely AU. If you haven't seen TDKR, go as soon as possible-you won't regret it. **

**To those of you who have seen it-what did you think? Personally, it was my favourite of the trilogy.**

* * *

><p>Selina took a detour on her way to Tommy's, stopping off at her apartment to retrieve the ruby bracelet she'd stolen from him. She didn't feel like she could own it anymore, much less wear it; it seemed to dirty her hands. She didn't want to touch anything that belonged to him.<p>

Slipping it back into her pocket, she glanced around the apartment once more for anything she needed before jumping out of the window, landing spryly on the balcony across the way.

It was almost too easy to get into Thomas's house again—a simple lock pick and disabling the security system and she was in. This time she was on a different floor, but Selina slid down the stair rail and peered into the different rooms, looking for the one she had first crawled into.

When she did find the sitting-room again, she slipped the ruby bracelet back into the untouched drawer, feeling satisfied that Thomas would never be able to locate any fingerprints on it.

With her first task complete, Selina started on her next one. She went downstairs to the main hallway, where she leapt up onto one of the ceiling beams, crouching and waiting for him to show up. From here, she could see the winter sunlight illuminating the thousands of dust particles that were floating aimlessly around the room. She crawled along the edge of the beam like a tightrope walker, keen eyes searching for any movement.

Eventually, her ears caught the sound of distant footsteps. Selina waited eagerly for him to arrive, and soon enough, he did—looking like Thomas again, but with a deep purple bruise on his throat where she'd kicked him. He was holding a bag of ice to his head and he limped slightly as he began to walk up the stairs. She grinned to herself and quietly leapt down to the floor when he disappeared. This would be too easy.

She let herself out of the house as quickly as she'd come in (effectively laying rest to Holly's doubts about her being able to get past his security system) and headed back to her apartment to pick up the Mercedes. Selina didn't often use the car, but Holly liked it, so she figured she would do a favor and retrieve it for her.

The crowd of reporters and journalists had cleared by the time Selina arrived back at Wayne Manor. She parked the car in the drive and walked back up to the house, pressing the doorbell. She could hear the echo of the bell reverberating in the foyer. Strange, how so much had changed in the weeks since she'd first come here.

Alfred opened the door, his expression relaxing when he saw her. "How did it go, Miss Kyle?"

"Pretty well," Selina answered, shrugging off her coat. "I see the country's media has left."

"I released a statement saying that Master Bruce is in stable condition and will be making a full recovery," Alfred explained. "He'll have to give countless press interviews when he's stronger."

"What happened?" Holly asked, coming up behind Alfred.

"Tommy's still at his house. He's mildly injured," replied Selina.

"Are you sure he'll be fine?" Holly did her best to conceal her worried expression, but Selina could see right through it.

"Yes, I'm sure he will be, but you shouldn't be concerned about him anymore," she said. "In fact, that's what I need to talk to you about."

Sensing that the two women needed to talk, Alfred quietly disappeared. Selina leaned against a pillar, looking Holly squarely in the eyes. "You need to break up with Tommy," she told Holly. "We're all in danger as long as you stay with him."

Holly nodded. "I know, but…I still feel attached to him."

"There are plenty of other and better fish in the sea," Selina said firmly. "Trust me."

Her friend looked doubtful, but she continued, "I don't know how I'll break up with him. What if he attacks me?"

"He won't," Selina assured her. "I have a plan."

* * *

><p>"You are <em>not <em>doing that!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Oh, please," Selina muttered. "You just don't think I can handle it, can you?"

"Look what happened to me when I tried confronting him," he said darkly. Selina was sitting on the edge of his bed while Holly hovered in the doorway.

"You think I'm not strong enough?" she asked. "That just because someone got the better of Batman means they can get the better of anyone?"

She was half-teasing, but Bruce's expression was stony. "It's _dangerous_, Selina," he insisted. "Hush is the strongest opponent I've had yet."

"So, by default, you assume _I _can't take him?"

His expression told her all she needed to know. "Just don't bring innocents with you," Bruce pleaded.

"Holly's not an _innocent_," Selina said. "I've trained her in every area of martial arts and gymnastics that exists. Perhaps she's not like us, but she can definitely get out of a situation if one arises better than the average woman."

His frustration and disapproval were written all over his face, and despite herself Selina felt a pang of sympathy. It would be months before he could safely put on the batsuit again, and with a new wave of crime taking over the city she knew he must feel helpless. Alfred would certainly have his work cut out for him. "Just be careful," he said.

Selina snorted. "Since when am I not?"

* * *

><p>The second she and Holly had left, Bruce gripped the covers so tightly his knuckles turned white, staring out the window as the black Mercedes twisted around the drive, glinting here and there until it disappeared to become one with the glowing city lights.<p>

"Feeling a tad frustrated, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as he came into the room with a dinner tray.

Bruce sighed deeply. "Yes," he admitted. "She's _infuriating_."

"She could very well say the same thing about you," the butler replied, lips twitching. "Let's not forget that she has her own code of ethics, much as you do."

Bruce was silent. "I just wish I could be out there too," he said, repressed emotion in his voice. "I hate feeling so useless."

"Perhaps you're not entirely useless," suggested Alfred, setting the tray on Bruce's beside table.

The young Wayne frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've certainly caught her attention, both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. I don't think Miss Kyle would associate herself with those she deems 'useless'."

He tried his best to conceal it, but Alfred caught the ghost of a smile on Bruce's face.

* * *

><p>Selina parked the Mercedes several streets from Tommy's house and she and Holly walked on foot the rest of the way. At the gate, Selina turned to her and said, "I'll be nearby. Don't worry."<p>

Holly was looking pale, but she nodded, a steely look in her eye. As she rang the bell that would open the gate, Selina vaulted over the fence and disappeared from sight.

She picked the window easily and slid in, hurrying to the rafters where she'd hid earlier that day. Tommy limped to the front door and opened it. "Holly," he said in surprise. "I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment."

"That's no problem," Holly replied. "I don't think I'll be seeing much of you again anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I came to break up with you, Tommy."

There was a long silence. Selina held her breath as he finally answered, "Why? If it hadn't been for me, you would still be out on the street—"

"I'd rather be on the street than deal with you," Holly said. "It's over."

Just as she turned to leave, Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside. "I paid you nearly two thousand dollars," he hissed. "Give me the money back."

"No," Holly said, but her voice was shaking.

Selina took this as her opportunity, and dove down from the rafters right onto Tommy. He yelled in surprise, thrashing about everywhere, but she held firm, scratching his face and pummeling every inch of him she could reach.

"That's for Bruce," she snarled as she landed a punch in his eye. "That's for Holly. And_ that's_—" she gave him the hardest blow yet, "—For me."

Blood was pouring out of his face and congealing on the carpet, but Selina didn't let up. One of the things Jack had taught her was to be completely sure an opponent was down before letting up. Looking back on it, Selina figured it was probably the only useful thing he'd taught her. That, and how to use a knife.

"Selina, I think you've done enough," Holly said nervously as she stepped back to avoid the blood. "Stop!" she said shrilly as Tommy cried out in pain.

With his last burst of strength, Tommy grabbed the gun and pointed it at Selina. She ducked and there was a loud bang as it went off. Holly screamed.

For a second, there was total silence. Selina jumped off of him and grimly picked up the gun. In the struggle, Tommy had shot himself in the stomach. He was lying on the floor, breathing shallowly.

"Is he dead?" Holly asked in a tiny voice.

"If he is, good riddance," Selina said. She couldn't bring herself to feel any remorse for him. "Let's go."

"But I need to call the police!"

"Call them if you want," replied Selina. "He's not a threat any more."

Grabbing Holly's arm, she led her out of the house, leaving the injured and broken Hush lying on the floor.


	14. XIV

Selina didn't bother going through the front door again when she got to the manor—she entered through Bruce's window and pulled off her goggles, giving him a sarcastic wave. Predictably, he didn't look happy.

"You know, doors were invented for a reason," he said.

"Since when have I ever listened to reason?" Selina asked. She snatched the remote from his grasp and changed the channel to the news, feeling vindictive when the reporter announced that Thomas Elliot had been found unconscious and wounded in his house and was rushed to the hospital.

Bruce looked at her unfathomably. "Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"Yes," Selina said shortly. "I'm sure he was about to kill Holly."

He still didn't look convinced, and she knew it was because he was still clinging onto the memory of Tommy, his childhood friend. As much as she hated Thomas, Selina could understand the feeling. To someone like Bruce, who only trusted a select few, betrayal from those he chose to let in stung twice as much and cut twice as deep.

"So," she said, breaking the silence, "You're welcome. Now, I'm out, but thank Alfred for his hospitality."

"Where are you going?"

"To find a new apartment," Selina replied. "What, did you think I was going to stay here forever?"

"You and Holly can stay in my penthouse," Bruce said. "It's right downtown and has lots of space—"

"One, all the reporters will find out within minutes and swarm on it like bees," Selina objected. "Two, I don't accept charity. Three, I have enough money to buy a new one, thank you very much. See you around, Bruce." She threw the remote back onto him—he groaned as it made contact with his bruised arm—and she left the room, smirking back at his hunched form.

* * *

><p>It took only an hour of searching before Selina was able to locate a convenient penthouse, similar to the one she was leaving behind, with a prime view over the East End and downtown Gotham. She would be able to keep an eye on everything right from the balcony.<p>

After she had collected her cats, Selina spent the rest of the day moving furniture to her new apartment. Holly went right to sleep, seeming shaken. Selina assumed she was still trying to process what had happened that day.

On her last trip back from the old apartment, she was cornered by a man dressed in a dark jacket and a keen expression. He shoved a microphone at her and eagerly summoned up two more men out of nowhere. One of them was holding a camera. "So, Miss Kyle, what was your reaction to Bruce Wayne's abduction?" he asked.

Selina stiffened. "How do you know my name?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"An employee of that jewelry store you used to work at, Lisa, told us!" he exclaimed. "Nobody thought Bruce would be caught dead with a _commoner_. There are no records of you anywhere."

_Lisa. _Selina had never liked her—she would have to find out some way to get her back. "Well, that's good," she snarled, and shoved the microphone back at him, trying to walk past.

"Wait, Miss Kyle!" he called, jogging after her. He looked a ridiculous sight with his baggy coat and heavy equipment. "You didn't answer my question."

When she didn't respond, he tried a different tack. "What was your reaction when you realized he was still alive? Have you been to see him?"

"I'm glad he's fine, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter," she said, taking a shortcut through a narrow sidestreet and, hopefully, losing the reporters once and for all.

Holly was awake when she got back, pacing back and forth through the empty rooms. "Selina…I have to tell you something," she started, looking very agitated.

Suspicious, Selina stopped arranging the furniture and looked over at her. "What is it?"

"Tommy knew you were Catwoman because…because I told him," Holly whispered, unable to meet her eyes.

"You did _what_?" Selina asked in an even lower voice.

Holly swallowed loudly. "The first night I was, well, with him, he asked about you and…and it just slipped out. You had only started being Catwoman then—it was before we went to Bruce Wayne's party."

"And you never told me this," Selina said, still in a low voice. She was numb with shock and disbelief. She had trusted Holly, told her things she had never told anyone else—and she had been betrayed.

"I'm sorry," Holly cried shrilly. "I realized I had made a mistake, but I thought that maybe Tommy would keep his mouth shut!"

Tommy must have known all along that Bruce was Batman, Selina knew, and then lured him into the trap because he'd known that she would come after him. "You could have killed us, Holly," she said, anger spiraling up into an unbearable distress. "He was going to kill us."

"But it's fine now, right?" Holly asked. "You're still alive…"

Selina couldn't even look at her. While Holly quietly sobbed, she went straight into her room to change into her Catwoman costume. Without another word, Selina dove out of the apartment building, not caring who saw her, and landed in the alley below.

God help whoever crossed her path now.

* * *

><p>When she arrived back late that night, completely exhausted, Holly and all of her things were gone. She had simply disappeared, like she'd never been there at all. There was no note, no parting farewell. On the surface, Selina was relieved—she would probably have kicked her out eventually—but there was a deeper ache, a pain that stung more than the loss.<p>

Betrayal.

She had only trusted three people in her entire life: her mother, her sister, and Holly. Granted, she had lost her childish innocence at a very early age, but up until Maria Kyle's death a vestige of hope had still remained. She had trusted Maggie, but her sister had been taken from her. She had trusted Holly, but the young woman had betrayed her. And she had _pretended _to trust Jack, but he had left.

Logic told her that it was only a matter of time before Bruce betrayed her as well.

She should just pack up and leave Gotham. Let Bruce sort out the matter of Hush for himself and travel somewhere else, living the nomadic life she'd had for eleven years. She would be safe, and Hush would never find her. In fact, she could leave right then and there—board a plane and go to the farthest reaches of the planet. She never had to come back.

The idea was certainly appealing. But Selina felt her stomach twist into a knot as she realized that _she_ would betray Bruce if she just left him. If Hush came back, he would be powerless to do anything in his weakened state.

Selina Kyle was many things, but a hypocrite was not one of them.

* * *

><p>The next morning, she blearily climbed out of bed to find the newspaper shoved under the front door. The headline boldly proclaimed: <em><strong>Batman saves Bruce Wayne<strong>_

_The Gotham Times' very own Nicholas Walters caught up with notorious billionaire Bruce Wayne as he exited the hospital late last night. Earlier yesterday, Wayne Manor's butler Alfred Pennyworth released a statement saying that Bruce was in stable condition and, although injured, was expected to make a full recovery. His right leg is broken and he has a bullet wound in his left shoulder. When questioned about how he escaped from his bandaged abductor, Bruce replied, "Batman saved me," but would not answer any more inquiries. Bruce is expected to answer to the police about the nature of his abduction as soon as possible._

_So, if Batman did indeed save him, this now begs the question: why Bruce Wayne, and not Harvey Dent? Why kill Gotham's cherished District Attorney and save a good-for-nothing playboy? _

_Bruce's girlfriend, Selina Kyle, was also questioned about the abduction. She answered_ _"I'm glad he's fine_," _but declined to comment any farther._

Below the article was a picture of Bruce in a wheelchair as he exited the hospital, barely visible for all of the cameras pointed at his face.

Selina dropped the paper back on the floor, appalled. If only the media knew the whole truth, they wouldn't be so quick to praise Harvey Dent and condemn Batman. No one knew the sacrifices Bruce had made to save Gotham—save a city and a people that hardly deserved saving.

But, Selina had to remind herself, she had done her part as well. What did that make her?

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so happy at the amount of BruceSelina stories that are emerging right now. Of course, this has turned very AU,** **but I hope I still have some readers.**

**And don't worry-Bruce will be back as Batman very soon! The next chapter will have skipped forward several weeks.**


	15. XV

Several days after he was admitted to the hospital, Tommy was pronounced dead. Selina fully expected Bruce to give her an earful, but when she visited Wayne Manor that day Bruce told her that he had faked it. "I did some investigating, and they're keeping it quiet at the hospital," he said. "There was no body. So he escaped."

"You investigated?" Selina asked dubiously.

"That's about the only thing I _can_ do," he darkly replied.

Wherever Hush was, he was concentrating on keeping a low profile. While the media scrambled to document Bruce's recovery and the disappearance of Batman, Hush was probably in hiding thinking up ways to best them once again. It was now Selina's duty to prowl the city at night, and she got a certain kick out of stealing without having to worry about Batman. However, Bruce correctly guessed what she was doing and she could feel disapproval radiating off him, even if he didn't verbally acknowledge the issue.

Holly had never come back. Selina began to miss her old friend, and would be prepared to accept an apology if she gave one. But there was no sign of the other woman anywhere, and Selina could only hope that wherever she was, she was all right. She hadn't told Bruce about Holly's betrayal, and wasn't planning to anytime soon. He didn't need anything else to worry about.

During the day, Selina spent more time at Wayne Manor than her old self would have dreamed possible. Alfred was doing an excellent job of looking after Bruce, but Selina got the impression that Bruce needed company once in a while. She cared for him, that much was certain, but she deliberately held herself back out of habit. She knew that if she let Bruce in completely as she had done with no other partner, she would be entirely vulnerable. Selina trusted him to an extent, but she wasn't willing to open up more ground for another possible duplicity. Batman nearly _had _turned her in, after all.

His feelings for her were frustratingly ambiguous as well. They acted like any other couple, but Selina was dangerously close to letting him in, so every once in a while she would subconsciously push him away, only to have Bruce draw her back in again. Other times he would be the distant one and she would have to reel him in. They were like a pair of magnets, simultaneously attracting and repelling each other.

On Valentine's Day, Bruce presented her with a small jewelry box. "Proposing already?" Selina smirked, but inside was the pair of emerald earrings from Jade's Jewels she had so coveted. She gasped and threw herself at Bruce, kissing him until her lips were sore. He smiled smugly, confident in his choice of gifts.

"How did you know I wanted these?" she asked, pulling off her current earrings to put on the new ones.

"I saw you looking at them that first day," Bruce said, absent-mindedly twining his fingers in her hair.

Selina paused to look up at him in surprise. "I thought you didn't even notice me."

"I notice everything," he said, and that gave way to another round of kisses.

Selina, on the other hand, bought him a cane for his thirtieth birthday. "So you can get around, old-timer," she joked.

"Not so fast. You're only a couple of weeks younger than me," Bruce shot back, grinning. But the cane really was good for him: he was quickly regaining strength in his leg and his shoulder had nearly healed. Selina and Alfred beamed like proud parents as he climbed out of the wheelchair he'd been using since the incident and gripped the cane, leaning heavily on it as he slowly walked around the room.

When he'd gotten used to the cane, Selina decided to put his walking abilities to the test. They walked arm in arm around the grounds of the manor, both lost in their own thoughts.

Winter had begun to loosen its icy grip on the city, evident in the blades of grass that struggled to grow through the frost. Bruce was getting stronger every day; according to Alfred, he was working harder than he should. He read the newspaper religiously and blamed himself for every crime that was reported, feeling like he should have been there to prevent it. Nothing Selina or Alfred could say or do would stop him berating himself.

But today he seemed to snap out of his worrying mood, turning to Selina with feigned innocence.

"So tell me about yourself, Miss Kyle," he said in a pompous, haughty voice, imitating the guests who often showed up at Wayne Manor pretending they cared how he was doing more than they cared about what latest bit of gossip they could spread.

"I'm Selina, twenty-nine, Gotham," she said, grinning at him.

But he refused to let her skirt the question that easily. "Come on. You know about me. What could possibly be so horrible about you?"

She averted his gaze. "You already know about me."

"I know about your heists, at least. That is, assuming you are the same cat burglar that's been popping up in different cities for the past ten years. You're lucky no one's managed to get a good picture of you yet."

Selina sighed. "Fine. My mother died when I was nine, my father died when I was twelve, and I had a younger sister. Happy?"

"How did they die?"

"Bruce…"

"Why don't you trust me?"

Selina glared balefully at him. "Maybe I haven't ever met anyone I _can _trust."

He couldn't argue with that. He understood it as well as she did. "You should consider getting a butler sometime," he said, trying to make light of the situation. "They're very trustworthy."

Selina was more than happy to change the topic. Perhaps she would have told him if Holly's betrayal hadn't occurred, but that had only served to close her off even more tightly. She _wanted_ to trust Bruce Wayne. In fact, she couldn't remember ever wanting to trust anyone before. But the two of them had so many shared secrets now that it felt like they'd known each other for years, not months.

"Where do you keep all your Batman things?" Selina asked when the manor came back into view.

He smirked roguishly. "It's a secret."

She rolled her eyes. "What, you think I'm not going to find out eventually?"

"Is that supposed to mean you've been snooping around?" Bruce asked, but he didn't object. After they'd shed their coats and scarves, he led her to the sitting-room and apparently randomly hit several keys on the piano. Selina was confused at first, but her brow unfurrowed when there was a loud scraping noise and one of the bookshelves slid to the side, revealing a wooden elevator.

Bruce grinned at her. "You first," he said. Selina cautiously stepped onto the platform. Bruce followed her and pressed a button installed on the wall. The bookshelf slid closed again and with an ominous rattle, they were propelled downward.

Selina stared at his face with what little light there was shining through the crack above. "How long did it take you to build this?"

"A while," Bruce admitted. "My grandfather already had the tunnels built. It was his dream to have an underground railroad running through here. Luckily, the area was untouched by the fire."

Selina frowned. "You didn't _really _burn down the manor in a drunken stupor, did you?"

He shook his head, but refused to answer her prodding. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who wanted to keep secrets.

With a jarring bump, the elevator hit rock bottom and the two of them stepped out. Selina could hear the roar of water in the distance.

She stepped through a wooden arch into an enormous, open cavern. She couldn't mask her surprise as she took in the magnificent sight. A beautiful waterfall masked the entrance to the outside world at the opposite end of the cave and a raised platform with what appeared to be a computer on it sat in the middle of the water.

"You don't do things halfway, do you?" Selina asked dryly as she walked up the stairs to the computer.

Bruce ambled up behind her, but he didn't turn to the computer. He stopped at the edge of the platform, an unfathomable look on his face. Another glass platform rose up in front of him, this one containing the batsuit.

"Why bats?" Selina asked him.

He turned his head to her, looking weary. He pointed up at the ceiling of the cavern and Selina could see a flurry of activity as hundreds of bats hung suspended from the rock. Distant chitters reached her ears. The bats were asleep.

"I used to be afraid of bats," Bruce said matter-of-factly. "I fell down here when I was a child, and I had the idea that I needed to master my own fear before I could instill it in others."

"So you decided to dress up as a giant bat?" she said dubiously.

He grinned. "It worked, didn't it? So…why cats?"

"I like cats," Selina answered. "And Holly told me I look like a cat wearing that outfit…" It hurt to speak of her once-closest friend, but she ignored the twinge of sadness.

Bruce turned back to the batsuit, longing evident in his eyes. Selina rested her head on his shoulder. "You'll be back soon enough," she said. "But I can't guarantee that you'll be able to catch me."

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that," Bruce said, and turned his head to kiss her.

* * *

><p>She arrived back in the city late that night and was stopped by a large group of pedestrians crossing the street outside her apartment building. Selina drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel and her eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, narrowed as she recognized one of the women crossing the street. It was Harleen Quinzel, the doctor who had been dining with Elliot on her first date with Bruce. But this time she looked different. Her hair was long and flowing instead of being tied up in a bun, she wasn't wearing glasses, and she was wearing a short, tight black dress, the opposite of her conservative attire last time.<p>

Selina was immediately intrigued. Where was she going? She worked at Arkham; she must know _something _about Thomas Elliot.

She backed up, tires squealing, and ignored the angry curses of disgruntled pedestrians as she swerved around the sidewalk and slowly tailed after Dr. Quinzel, taking shortcuts through alleyways and sidestreets so as not to rouse suspicion. The blonde woman finally disappeared into the opera house, disappearing amidst the swarm of Gotham's elite dressed in their fanciest clothes.

Selina pulled into the nearest driveway and grabbed her cell phone, dialing Bruce. He answered right away. "Fancy a date at the opera?" she asked slyly.

* * *

><p>The guests at the opera were stunned when Bruce Wayne, whom they had thought grievously injured, pulled up in his Lamborghini with Selina Kyle at his side. While the high society ladies gossiped about the prince of Gotham's new woman, Selina searched the crowd for Harleen Quinzel. When she spotted the familiar tangle of blonde hair sitting several rows in front of them, she gestured to Bruce. "Who's she sitting with?"<p>

Bruce looked surprised, lifting the opera glasses to his face. "That's Dr. Arkham. What's she doing with him?"

As if she had heard his comment, Harleen looked back at them. Selina glanced at the pamphlet so as to look interested in something else. The opera was called _Mefistofele_ . As the curtain rose, Selina noticed Bruce had an odd expression on his face.

She supposed the performance was good, but she was hardly paying attention, instead scrutinizing every move of Harleen's. Every so often Arkham would lean over and whisper something to her. Selina was disgusted. Wasn't he married?

She asked this question of Bruce, but he merely gave her a blank look. "What's wrong?" Selina asked, who had never seen him like this before.

He glanced back up at the stage, a frown creasing his face. "This was the opera we went to see the night my parents were killed," he said in a low voice.

Selina immediately wished she hadn't asked. She wasn't good at comforting people, and felt uncomfortably out of her element. Bruce was watching the actors with a lost expression on his face, almost as if he was a little boy again. Selina felt she had to do something, so she settled for taking his hand. He did the same, squeezing her hand perhaps a little harder than was necessary.

And that, Selina realized, was another guard let down between them. She, who was so used to keeping her secrets from everyone, had absolutely no idea what to do when someone else let her in. She felt gratified that Bruce Wayne, of all people, was letting himself be so vulnerable around her—but now she was left with the unwanted pressure of making herself worthy. She couldn't betray him now. She wouldn't do what she so hated to someone else, least of all him.

Bruce went rigid in his seat when the figures clothed in black, dressed as terrifying bats, came swooping down on the stage. Selina noticed several gentlemen watching them closely, and quickly grabbed Bruce's face. "Quick," she murmured. "Make a scene."

He seemed all too happy to oblige, and soon they were kissing in a manner that would have been too undignified on the street, let alone an opera theater. With a disapproving look, the men turned back around. Selina pulled away, shooting a smile at Bruce as she did.

But her attention was caught by Harleen getting out of her seat and making her way to the door. "There she goes," Selina whispered, glancing over at Bruce's cane. Helpful though he may be, she needed to do her work, and with that cane he would just slow her down. "Be back soon," she said, and made her way down to the exit where Harleen had disappeared through.

Suspiciously, Harleen didn't go back to the lobby—Selina trailed her down a short hallway and out the back door, emerging into a narrow alleyway filled with filth and garbage. Graffiti adorned the brick wall and old, flickering lampposts held the only source of light.

"Selina!" Bruce had followed her. Of course he had.

Harleen was nowhere to be seen. Selina turned to Bruce, who was looking very pale. Understanding suddenly hit her. This was Crime Alley.

_Oh_.

He tried the door, but it had locked shut. Meanwhile, Selina was scanning the area for Harleen.

"Looking for someone?" asked a high-pitched voice. She whirled around to see the doctor striding toward them, a smug smile on her face.

Selina bared her teeth and faced her. "Do you know what Thomas Elliot was doing at Arkham?"

"I don't believe _Dr_. Elliot was doing anything out of the ordinary," Harleen sing-songed. She was playful, teasing; a different woman from the cold, calculating figure Selina had first encountered. "What's it to you? Why do you care?"

"Tommy was my friend, and I was wondering if his death had anything to do with his work at the asylum," Bruce said. He sounded confident, but Selina knew his bravado could shatter at a moment's notice. He was alone, injured, unprotected in the very alleyway where his life had fallen apart.

"You seem very interested for such a vapid playboy, Mr. Wayne," Harleen purred. She took a step toward him and tugged at his tie. Selina bristled. "Why the sudden interest?"

Before Bruce could respond, she kicked his cane away and he collapsed onto the dirty ground. Selina pounced on Harleen, ignoring the woman's cries as she pinned her to the wall. "You know what happened to Tommy, don't you?" she asked.

Harleen's eyes began to water as Selina's grip tightened on her. "I don't," she choked. "He…he let Scarecrow out…and then he died—"

"Hey!" a male voice called out. "What are you doing here? This is my part of town!"

Selina's eyes locked on a dark figure emerging from the shadows. He was pointing a gun directly at her. As Selina started toward him, there was a deafening bang and she dove out of the way as the bullet ricocheted off the wall and landed next to Bruce, who was struggling to stand up.

"With aim like that, I'm surprised you own _any _part of town," Selina snarled. She wrestled the gun out of his hand and threw it to the ground, landing a neat punch to his jaw. He staggered backward from the blow and she quickly knocked him unconscious with a kick to his head.

Turning back around, satisfied, she saw that Harleen had run away while her back was turned. Bruce had gotten to his feet, but his hands were shaking on the handle of his cane.

Selina grabbed his arm to steady him. "Come on, Bruce," she whispered. "Let's get you back."

His eyes were wild as he stared straight ahead, looking but not seeing, and Selina felt truly sorry for him.

"Can you drive?" she asked when the valet brought them the car. The young man seemed too awestruck by the Lamborghini to pay them much mind.

Bruce nodded. "Yes, I'll be fine." They shared a quick kiss before he drove away. Selina watched him go, feeling exasperatingly torn.

* * *

><p>She changed into her catsuit as soon as she got back to her apartment, frustration bubbling up inside her. She hadn't gotten any information from Harleen, and Bruce was likely traumatized all over again.<p>

Without consciously realizing where her feet were taking her, Selina did her usual circuit of the East End, stopping a child from being pickpocketed by thugs and snapping up an expensive Rolex watch in the process. Before she knew it she was leaving the city limits and heading straight for Wayne Manor.

She leapt up to Bruce's bedroom window, but the room was dark and the bed untouched. He was brooding again. Sighing, she crept downstairs and spotted him in the sitting-room. He was sitting at the piano bench, aimlessly playing a tune as if he was planning on opening up the hidden door to the cave but had changed his mind at the last minute.

There was a portrait above the fireplace that Selina had only briefly glanced at previously, but now the crackling flames cast an eerie light over it. Thomas and Martha Wayne smiled benignly at the camera, Thomas with one hand on his wife's shoulder. They were both extremely good-looking with kind smiles. The sort of people, Selina thought dully, that meeting them would have been a dream come true in her childhood.

But what caught her attention the most was the string of pearls around Martha's neck. It was the same pearl necklace Selina had found in the master bedroom, the one she had thought looked familiar. And, seeing the image of the woman whom they had once belonged to, she suddenly remembered why it had looked so familiar.

* * *

><p><em>She was hungry. So hungry.<em>

_Her parents hadn't gotten food in a week, and every time Selina asked they would ignore her or snap at her to go away. _

_She held on to Maggie's hand tightly, leading her through the streets of the Narrows in search of food. "Selina, I'm hungry," her little sister kept complaining. _

"_I'll find you something," Selina reassured her. But all they came across was an old, stale piece of bread that she gave to Maggie, who gobbled it up hungrily. Selina tried not to look at her sister as she was eating; it only made her feel worse._

_When the crumbling, peeling buildings gave way to shiny, metal skyscrapers Selina knew they were safe—or at least safer than they were back there. Stealing in the Narrows was always a hit-and-miss, because not only were the targets less likely to be carrying around important things, many of them carried guns or at least knew how to fight. Here in the financial district, middle-aged men wearing expensive suits and who concealed flab under their seemingly toned bodies made up the bulk of the population._

_Selina had only pickpocketed once before, and she'd barely gotten away with it. The man she'd stolen an apple from had chased after her until she'd squeezed through a narrow opening and disappeared. It was thanks to her malnourished state that she was able to slip through small spaces and escape._

_Drawing Maggie into an alcove, she placed her hand protectively on her sister's head and scanned the passing crowd for easy targets._

_Her eyes finally landed on a family of three standing across the street. The father was tall and distinguished, with combed dark hair and an elegant posture. The mother was a kind-looking blonde woman who reminded Selina of movie stars from the silent film era. The boy standing between them was evidently their son; he had his father's neatly parted hair and a strong, defined jaw, and there was something of his mother in the way he moved and in his worried-looking eyes._

_As she watched, the father put his hand on his son's shoulder and gently guided him into the building. The mother was left standing alone on the sidewalk. _

"_Come on, Maggie," Selina whispered, and hurried her across the street to where she pretended to be looking for someone. The blonde woman had a purse slung over her shoulder, but it was unfortunately zipped shut. Selina would have to be very stealthy if she wanted it to work. Still, they were probably her best bet: all three of them screamed money._

_Just as she was planning out her strategy, the woman looked directly at her. Selina quickly turned away, but it was too late. She expected the woman to turn up her nose and walk away, as most upperclass people did when they saw her, but instead she came up to them. _

"_You poor little things! Are you lost?" she asked._

"_No," Maggie piped up. "We're hungry. Especially Selina. She gave me a piece of bread and didn't eat any herself!"_

"_Here, I'll give you something," the woman said kindly. She reached into her bag and pulled out two twenty-dollar bills, handing one to each of them. Selina's eyes widened; she had never seen so much money in her life._

"_Thank you, miss!" Maggie exclaimed, giving the woman a hug. _

"_Maggie, stop," Selina muttered, yanking her sister backward. She'd told her sister a thousand times to never trust strangers, even strangers that gave them unimaginable amounts of money._

_Behind her, the front door opened again and the boy and his father came back out. Selina locked eyes with the boy for a split second, hazel eyes meeting green, and he started, as if he wasn't used to seeing people as poor as them. Selina narrowed her eyes at him, glaring, and pulled Maggie away, leaving the family behind. _

* * *

><p>She felt a rare pang of sorrow: who would have known that the only wealthy couple to ever show compassion to her were the Waynes?<p>

Their son slowly turned his head toward her. "Why are you here, Selina?" Bruce said in a low voice.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right," she said, trying to make light of her words and failing.

He didn't answer, and she sat beside him on the bench. The firelight danced and reflected in his eyes. He reached down and pulled the goggles off of her head. "You know, for a cat burglar, you certainly do have a heart."

"Never said I didn't," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for the rest of the night, just sitting there, and Selina couldn't remember ever feeling so content.


	16. XVI

Selina had taken to entering and leaving the manor whenever she pleased. Now that Alfred and Bruce trusted her, they didn't seem to mind her suddenly showing up at the house. It was something she would gladly have taken advantage of a year ago—even six months ago—but her feelings for Bruce and her respect for Alfred kept her from making off with the Wayne family jewels.

On a rainy, muggy day in April she arrived at the manor feeling irate. _The Gotham Times, _whose reporters loved to snap pictures of her whenever she appeared in public, had just published a lengthy article that attempted to dig into her past. They had come to the conclusion that she was either the secret heir to a massive fortune, or she was the illegitimate daughter of a European king seeking refuge in Gotham. Selina found it darkly amusing that they hadn't even bothered searching the local records for her name—they would surely find it at the orphanage where she'd once lived—but the journalists seemed dead set on painting a picture of her as the rebellious offspring of some high-society hags.

Catwoman was also making the papers, if not as often as Selina Kyle. The name was usually thrown around whenever a high-profile robbery occurred, or when someone caught a shadowy glimpse of her on a rooftop. She was viewed as a sort of female Robin Hood, who stole from the city's finest and gave to the disadvantaged (the paper often liked to point out that the Catwoman was probably giving the money to drug addicts and criminals. Selina was quite certain the majority of the articles slandering her costumed alter ego were written by one of the very people she had once stolen from).

But nothing, not even Bruce Wayne's gradual return to society, or Catwoman's latest "antiheroic" act compared to the amount of attention Batman was receiving. Since he had disappeared after "saving" Bruce, the only thing citizens had to wonder about was whether he should be persecuted if he ever resurfaced. Some articles drifted eerily close to the truth and suggested that he had actually been framed for Harvey Dent's murder. Others were convinced he should be arrested on sight, and still more argued that the entire debate was pointless, since he hadn't been seen in months and it was highly unlikely he would ever come back. Bruce had been questioned so incessantly about his rescue that after his hundredth elaborate lie explaining that Batman had broken into the room where he had been held captive and was taken to safety, he'd refused to answer any more questions on the matter.

As for Hush, he was being treated as a one-strike criminal who had just wanted Bruce's fortune—which was, in Selina's opinion, the stupidest conclusion anyone could come to. But, she figured, the police had more pressing threats on their minds than a bandaged man who had only been seen once.

After reading the feature on her "mysterious" past, Selina had canceled her subscription to _The Gotham Times. _She could use her old copies as kindling for the fireplace when winter arrived again, or, she thought with no small amount of vindictiveness, litter for her cats. That was exactly where the pile of lies belonged.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kyle," Alfred greeted her when she walked into the manor's kitchen, seeming unfazed by her sudden appearance. "Master Bruce has been holed up in that bloody cave all morning. Perhaps you'll have better luck than me at luring him out."

Selina smiled. "I'll try my best."

But Bruce didn't even look at her when she entered the cave and the platform rose up to meet her. He was sitting intently at the computer, his cane leaning against the seat. He was able to walk short distances without it, but still clearly favored his right leg. "I've found Tommy," he announced grimly as Selina came up to him. "He's in Vietnam."

"How do you know?" she asked. The screen was filled with indecipherable letters and numbers.

"Because he's been embezzling millions of dollars from my bank account," Bruce replied. "I did some research and there have been large deposits taken from locations around the world."

Selina was shocked. "How did he get access to your account?"

Wordlessly, Bruce pressed a button on the keyboard and an image seemingly taken from a security camera popped up. At first, Selina thought the man talking to the clerk behind the desk was Bruce himself, but on closer inspection she realized it was merely a lookalike: this man had a wider built and a squarer face—but what a lookalike it was.

"He must have performed plastic surgery on himself," explained Bruce. "While he was at the hospital he most likely stole my records. That's all the proof the banks need."

"But why would Elliot want your money? Isn't he a billionaire as well?"

Bruce nodded. "The fortune he inherited was actually a larger sum than mine, but he wasted most of it on gambling. Now that's he's thought dead, he can do whatever he wants."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Selina, watching the imposter glance up at the camera. He smirked coldly, and she felt a wave of revulsion.

"I don't know," Bruce said, sighing heavily. "Normally I would go straight to Vietnam and stop him, but there's no way I could win in a fight now."

"Even if you turned him in, he would just tell the police about us," Selina mused. "Short of killing him, there's nothing we can do."

"I'll call Fox and see if Alfred has any suggestions," said Bruce. Selina had met Lucius Fox several times before, and it was obvious he was a much-needed asset—supplying Bruce with the gadgets and weaponry he needed as Batman, not to mention running Wayne Enterprises almost single-handedly. The papers almost had to right when they referred to him as "Wayne's Brain".

While waiting for Fox to arrive, Bruce explained the situation to Alfred. Selina had dragged him back up to the house after having to resort to pulling the plug on the computer.

Alfred looked both distraught and concerned at the news. "At this rate, you could go completely bankrupt within a month," he said, forehead creasing in worry.

"Something needs to be done, and I can't afford to wait until my leg is completely healed," replied Bruce. "Maybe I could have emergency surgery—"

"Or I could go to Vietnam and find him," Selina suggested. Bruce frowned, as if he had predicted her response. "As long as I knew where he was, it would be easy," she continued, shooting Bruce a 'don't interrupt' glare. "I've already proven I can hold my own against him, especially if I have the element of surprise. And…if it comes down to it, I have no qualms about finishing him off."

"I don't want him dead," Bruce said immediately.

Selina rolled her eyes. "It's not looking like we have much of a choice."

Before Bruce could retort, the doorbell rang and Alfred hastened to answer it. He came back with the polished, distinguished form of Lucius Fox at his side. "Hello, Mr. Wayne," Fox said with a smile. "You're looking well. It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Kyle." He shook her hand. "Now, what can I do for you today? I'm afraid I don't have a device that can instantaneously fix your leg."

"Very funny, Fox," Bruce responded. "I need your advice." He explained the situation in an urgent tone, looking progressively more stressed with every word.

Fox's smile had disappeared by the end. "Oh, dear. Well, I'm afraid fraud is not my area of expertise—"

"But I can help," Selina interjected, and quickly explained her proposition.

"That does sound like a good idea," Fox said, his eyes lighting up. "I could easily make some adjustments to your suit…"

"It's our best hope," Alfred told a disgruntled Bruce. "Put some trust in Miss Kyle."

"I do trust her," he mumbled. "She trusts _herself _too much."

"And you don't?" Selina shot back.

"Mr. Wayne, Miss Kyle has every right to make her own decisions," Fox cut in. "If she chooses to save something that belongs to you, I suggest you not argue with her."

Bruce looked annoyed, but stayed silent. Selina didn't even bother to hide her smug expression.

"When would you like to do this?" Fox asked, turning back to her.

"As soon as possible," she replied. "I've wanted to confront Elliot for a long time."

* * *

><p>Twenty-four hours later, everything was prepared. Selina had set out a month's worth supply of food for her cats, just in case, and arrived at Wayne Manor with her suitcase.<p>

Bruce, Alfred and Fox were waiting in the parlor. Bruce stood up as soon as he saw her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"_Yes_," she replied irritably. "Your concern is touching, but it's not necessary."

"Miss Kyle, I have something I think you'll find useful," Fox said. He beckoned Selina into the next room, where a sleek, dark material was spread out on the table. "I've made some changes to the suit. Now the material is more form-fitting and elastic. It's better camouflaged, especially if you find yourself in a bright room. Since you're often climbing, I've covered the gloves with special padding so you'll have a better grip, whether you're on metal or wood. The heel on your boots now doubles as a knife and easily retracts in case you need to run long distances."

"Thank you," Selina said, stunned. She ran her fingers along the new suit, feeling it mold into her skin.

"Oh, but I'm not finished yet," Fox said, smiling. "The ears on your cowl now have a hidden chip in them that can be used as a phone. You just need to flip a switch on the inside to contact Bruce or I at any time. Finally, your goggles are now equipped with thermal and night vision. You can zoom in or track a target. The glass is also bulletproof, because you can bet your enemies will be shooting at vitals."

Selina had no idea what to say. "Thank you, Mr. Fox," she repeated profusely. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Wayne Enterprises does specialize in military and defense technology," Fox said. "Just think of it as an experiment." He handed the suit to her. "I can go into more detail on the flight over there.'

"I can fly commercial, really," Selina started to say, but Fox shook his head.

"Mr. Wayne's jet is more suited to potential problems, should they arise," he explained. "Besides, we need somewhere to keep Mr. Elliot, since I believe he is being brought back to Gotham."

She nodded. Bruce's only request had been that Elliot was brought back alive. Turning, she saw him standing the doorway, looking uncertain. "I told Fox to make as many upgrades as he could," Bruce said.

"It's certainly high-tech," replied Selina dryly.

Alfred appeared next to Bruce, phone in his hand. "The plane is waiting at the airport, Miss Kyle," he whispered. "Good luck." He and Fox left the room, presumably to give them privacy for their goodbyes.

"I guess I don't need to tell you to be careful yet again," Bruce told her. "I've never been to Vietnam, but I've heard their police don't tolerate thievery."

"Oh, come on," Selina said. "If I haven't been caught yet, then I never will be." She crossed the room in one stride and gave him a long, lingering kiss, pressing her body against his and wrapping her leg against his hip. Bruce reached down to grab her waist, gently biting her lower lip. Just as he let out a low groan and moved to unbutton her sweater, Selina pulled away, smiling triumphantly at his flushed face.

Now _that _was something for him to remember her by. "Don't worry about me," she said in a low, seductive voice. "I'll be thinking about you, if you know what I mean." While Bruce struggled to reply, she delivered a sly wink before collecting her suitcase and walking out the door.


	17. XVII

Selina had never been on a private plane before, and very much enjoyed the extravagance and luxury of it. She reclined in the comfortable leather seat and watched the dazzlingly blue ocean stretch out across the horizon while sipping on a fresh cup of coffee. She was certain that it wouldn't take her long to find Elliot—she was, after all, an expert on tracking. Besides, Bruce ought to know by now that she wasn't doing it solely for him. She was, of course, also doing it for her own satisfaction—and for Holly, despite how estranged the two of them were at the moment.

Fox sat across from her, glasses slipping over his nose with his head buried in a newspaper. Selina wondered if he had a family—he wasn't wearing a ring, and she didn't recall him ever mentioning wife or children. He was trustworthy, at any rate—when she had told him she was Catwoman he had merely nodded, not seeming taken aback or surprised in the least. Perhaps, like Alfred, he had stopped passing judgment when it came to Bruce and the company he kept.

He made a disapproving noise over the top of the paper, and at Selina's questioning look, he explained, "Apparently the doctor who has been treating the Joker was taken off the case. Supposedly she was getting _too _close to him."

Selina's eyebrows shot up. "_Too close_ to the Joker? How did that happen?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Fox replied, shaking his head. "I tell you, the things that go on in that asylum would shock even the most hardened officer…I pity Dr. Quinzel."

"_Harleen Quinzel?"_ Selina repeated, incredulous. "_She's_ the one who's been treating the Joker?"

Fox nodded. "She's quite young as well. I don't see how she would even get assigned to the case in the first place."

Selina and Bruce hadn't attempted to track down Harleen after the disaster at the opera, and she was not very happy to learn this new piece of news. If there was one inmate they did _not _need escaping out of Arkham, it was the Joker.

"Forgive me for asking, Miss Kyle, but do you have a plan of attack once we arrive?" Fox asked after a brief silence.

"Bruce gave me the address of the house where Elliot is staying," Selina answered. "I'll sneak in and wait until he's at his weakest. It should be easier that way." _I've done it before._

"I'll wait outside the house," Fox confirmed. "You'll need me there if something goes wrong."

"I shouldn't take too long," replied Selina. "A couple of hours at the most. I just like to be prepared."

"Very wise," Fox answered. He paused for a moment, smiling, and continued, "I hope you know that Mr. Wayne is quite fond of you."

"Yes, I do," Selina said, pretending to concentrate on the view out the window.

"I remember," Fox said, following her gaze, "After Thomas and Martha Wayne's funeral two decades ago, I wanted to pay my respects to Bruce. I had just started working for Wayne Enterprises at that time, was very saddened to hear of their deaths. I looked everywhere, but I just couldn't find Bruce. After half an hour of searching, I finally gave up and went outside, where I heard loud sobs coming from around the building. I went to investigate, and there he was—just this eight-year-old boy crying his heart out. I had never seen such agony before on anyone's face, and it was made even worse by the fact it was a child. I didn't disturb Bruce. I just left him to grieve in peace, and started home with a heavy heart. But I had barely turned the corner when I spotted another child his age. She was gaunt and emaciated, walking beside her father who was drinking a bottle of beer. As he finished it, he carelessly threw it aside and it shattered against a wall. Some of the pieces rebounded and hit the little girl. She started crying, but her father didn't even glance at her. I saw the anguish in her eyes, and it matched the look I had just seen on Bruce's. I knew that even though her parents might be physically present, she was every bit as alone as Bruce now was. I continued on my way, but I never quite forgot those two children. Twenty years later, I met them again—only they weren't children anymore." Fox turned to look Selina squarely in the face. "You and him are more alike than you think."

She nodded, feeling frustratingly vulnerable. "I know."

* * *

><p>Seventeen long hours later, their jet finally touched down in Hanoi. Selina had slept for much of the flight, feeling relaxed and wide awake as they stepped off the plane into the humid, muggy air. Palm trees lined the streets t and she raised her face to the sun, feeling its warmth bleed into her pale skin.<p>

"Would you like to stop at the hotel first or go straight there?" Fox asked as he led her over to a waiting limousine.

"Straight there," Selina answered at once. "I want to do this as soon as possible."

She climbed into the backseat and watched the foreign city flash by. She'd done stretches and exercises on the plane, and felt ready for anything. She'd be in contact with Bruce and Fox anyway—if she was unsure of something they would surely be able to help her.

The car gradually wound deeper into the Vietnamese countryside, flashing by small villages and larger towns. Selina watched the miles disappear under the tires, and grudgingly had to give Elliot credit: he wasn't making himself easy to find.

Her phone suddenly lit up, and Bruce's number flashed on the screen. "I'm here and still alive, don't worry," Selina said by way of greeting. "I have to give you points for that plane, by the way. You know it's good if I'm complimenting it."

"I'm touched," Bruce replied dryly. "How long before you get to his house?"

"Fox says twenty minutes," answered Selina. "I'll get changed into my suit once we arrive and then I'll call you."

"Do you have enough anesthesia to keep Tommy under during the trip back to Gotham?"

"We should. I'm sure he'll have lots at his place if we run out." Selina glanced out the window. They were deep in the jungle—brightly colored birds were flying past the car and the trees were impossibly tall.

Bruce began to say something else, but the phone loudly crackled over his words. "Hang on, I think the reception is cutting out," she told him. "I'll call you again when everything is set."

She caught something that sounded like an affirmation before the service cut out completely. Selina flipped the phone shut and leaned forward to speak to Fox. "I'm ready," she announced.

* * *

><p>Bruce paced restlessly around the platform in the Batcave, shooting anxious looks at the computer which currently showed a blank screen. It would light up when Selina had activated the radar in her cowl.<p>

There was a rattle from the cave entrance and Alfred stepped off the elevator, carrying a tray of food. "Lunch for you, sir," he said, placing it on the edge of the table. Bruce murmured a quiet thanks but his gaze didn't even touch the tray. Instead he stretched out his leg, testing its strength while the cane lay untouched in the corner. "I think I'm almost ready to go back out there, Alfred," he said.

"Perhaps you should make sure your leg completely healed before you start making any rash decisions, Master Wayne," the butler replied. "How is Miss Kyle?"

"Fine so far. She says they're almost there," Bruce replied.

Alfred was silent for a moment, watching his young ward. He finally stated in his usual blunt manner, "You care for her a lot, don't you?"

"Yes," Bruce said, not looking up from his leg.

"More than you cared for Miss Dawes?"

He froze, his eyes slowly traveling up to meet Alfred's. "They're two completely different people, Alfred. I can't compare them."

"You both care for them romantically," the butler said. "You and Miss Kyle have been dating for months now. Perhaps it's time to tell her about Miss Dawes."

"Why should I? Rachel is out of the picture." The words clearly hurt him and came out sounding flat.

"But she's not out of your mind," said Alfred matter-of-factly. "Sir, you prevent yourself from becoming too close to Miss Kyle because you're afraid her fate might be similar to Miss Dawes's."

Bruce didn't try to deny it. "My feelings for Selina are different than my feelings for Rachel."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

He shrugged. "I knew Rachel my entire life. I've only known Selina for six months—"

"But the fact that she's had this much of an effect on you after so little a time suggests that she has the potential to be something more."

"I know she does," Bruce said. "But Rachel's letter…"

"The past cannot be changed, sir. You know that better than most people. You desired Miss Dawes because she represented normality, but as long as you're Batman, a normal life is impossible. You both knew it was cruel to make you choose. Perhaps with Miss Kyle, you don't have to make that decision. Miss Dawes was your childhood love, but you're not children anymore. Besides, if I may be so bold, she only connected with Bruce Wayne, not Batman. Miss Kyle connects with both. Miss Dawes wanted to see you happy, and I've rarely seen you happier than when you are with Miss Kyle. I think she's exactly what you need."

Bruce sighed, knowing the butler was right. "I still don't know anything about her."

"All in due course, sir." Alfred paused. "There is something I need to tell you about Miss Dawes."

He looked up questioningly.

"Before she died…" Alfred took a deep breath. "Before Miss Dawes died, she wrote you a letter saying that…that she chose Harvey Dent over you. And I…I burnt that letter. I thought…it wasn't the time for you to know the truth just then. Miss Dawes moved on, and she wanted you to as well."

Bruce stared in shock at the person he trusted more than anyone else in the world, a dozen emotions rapidly flashing across his face. "You lied to me," he finally said, sounding for a split second like the lost boy he still was deep down. "You made me believe that—that she was going to wait for me."

"I'm sorry," Alfred whispered, bowing his head. "But I thought it was best."

Bruce turned away from him, and Alfred silently went back to the elevator, leaving him in solitude. For a long while, he just stood there, staring blankly at the jagged rock that jutted out from the walls of the cave.

He hadn't visited Rachel's grave. He hadn't even gone to her funeral—he knew he wouldn't have been able to bear it. He'd shut himself up in his penthouse that day, unable to even feel relief over the news of the Joker's capture. He had twisted the arrowhead they'd found as children so many years ago in his fingers, feeling the rough rock cut his skin and sending tiny rivulets of blood running down his hand. Now he took the artifact from where it rested on the desk and traced its outline on his palm. He was standing close enough to the waterfall to blame the wetness on his cheeks as mist, and nothing more.

"Goodbye, Rachel," Bruce whispered, and let the arrowhead slip from his fingers into the rushing water.


	18. XVIII

**I know, I know, I have no excuse for not updating in over two months. This chapter is quite short, but I just wanted to let everyone know that this story is not abandoned! :)**

* * *

><p>Fox pulled the car to the side of the road twenty minutes later. Selina had changed into her suit during the interim and now tapped on the frosted glass, giving him a thumbs-up.<p>

"Ready, Miss Kyle?" he asked, his kind brown eyes registering concern for her and the situation she was about to get into.

Selina nodded confidently. Already, she was in her element. Her muscles were coiled and she was processing every bit of information she could about her environment.

"The house is two miles due north of here," Fox told her. "Let me know when you've caught Elliot and I'll drive closer."

Selina climbed out of the car and pulled her goggles over her eyes, trying not to outwardly show her interest in the new technology that had been added to her suit. She could see _everything_—the slight rustling of the leaves, the way the sunlight filtered through the thick branches and pooled on the ground, the small animals scurrying through the underbrush…

"Try turning on your radar," suggested Fox. Selina lifted her glove to her ear and flicked on the hidden switch. Instantly, the phone he was holding lit up. "Can you hear me?" he asked, lifting it to his face.

"Loud and clear," Selina confirmed. She flipped the switch on the other ear. This time, the signal took much longer to get through. Finally, there was a loud beep and Bruce's voice said, "Selina?"

"Yes, it's me," she replied, refraining from the sarcastic quip she usually would have employed. "According to Fox, we're two miles from Elliot's house."

"Is the new suit working all right?" he asked.

"As far as I can tell, yes," Selina replied. She took a step backwards into the forest, giving Fox a parting wave.

When she found a sturdy enough tree, she leapt onto it, climbing higher and higher until she found a good enough vantage point. The forest stretched out before her, an enormous, tangled mass of green—except for a tiny break in the trees a mile or so away. "I've found the house," she announced, beginning to navigate through the trees, leaping from branch to branch. It required more finesse and strength than jumping between rooftops did, but Selina knew she could manage it easily.

"How large is the property?" Bruce asked. He seemed more subdued than he had during their last conversation, a fact that was not missed by her.

Selina frowned, though she knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "What's the matter, Brucey?" she half-teased him. "Did Alfred make your dinner wrong, or something?"

When he didn't answer, she sighed and rolled her eyes. He'd snap out of it eventually—she didn't have the time or the patience to deal with his strange moods just then.

Switching over to Fox, she gave him the coordinates of the clearing she'd spotted. She could clearly see a roof now, and a sparkling blue swimming pool enclosed by a massive iron gate.

"Get ready, Hush," she muttered.

* * *

><p>The security system only took her five minutes to disable, and soon Selina was creeping along the perimeter of the obscenely huge mansion. It was nearly as large as his property in Gotham, but much blander, less elaborate—he probably figured that there was no point in flaunting his wealth if there was no one around to witness it.<p>

Luckily for her, it was a hot day and Elliot had left a ground floor window open. Selina climbed into a luxurious sitting-room, complete with a flat screen television and leather couches. The walls were painted a pristine white and there was a mahogany cabinet in the corner with what appeared to be jewelry on display inside. Selina took a step toward the case just as Bruce asked, "Where are you now?"

"I'm afraid you won't find another bracelet to steal, kitty cat," a sneering voice said from somewhere beside her.

Selina spun around immediately. Elliot was standing in the doorway, dressed casually in bright orange shorts and a yellow polo shirt. The outfit would have been laughable if it wasn't for the fact that he was pointing a gun directly at her heart.

"Selina? What's happening?" Bruce was asking, but she wasn't listening to him anymore.

"You caught me," Selina said dully, crossing her arms. "I _am _a bit disappointed that you figured out it was me who stole that bracelet. How did you do it, anyway?"

"Tracking device," Elliot breathed. His eyes were wild and he looked almost feverish. "You're good, _kitty, _but not _that _good."

Selina made a vague noise and grinned at him. "I could say the same for you, _mummy_."

Elliot's grip didn't falter, but she saw his eyes widen slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"The gun isn't loaded," Selina answered, and tapped her goggles knowingly. Before he could react, she'd lunged at him, forcing the gun out of his hands. It clattered on the ground, forgotten, as the two began a vicious wrestling match. Selina pummeled every inch of his body she could, forcing him down onto his back. Elliot was, by all accounts, physically stronger than her, but Selina was faster. She ducked away from his punches whilst trying to get in as many blows of her own as she could.

Elliot, sensing he was losing, finally let out a monstrous cry of rage and shoved her away with every last bit of his strength. Selina was sent reeling backward, but she quickly regained her balance as Elliot got to his feet. They continued to spar, neither quite gaining the advantage.

"Batman sent you to do his dirty work, then?" Hush taunted, dodging Selina's punch. "Tut, tut. I never would have thought—him and his _chivalry¸ _you and your independence! Allowing yourself to be coerced so easily!"

"I'm doing this for _myself_," Selina growled, landing a roundhouse kick square on his chest. He staggered back, momentarily disarmed. "And for Holly. How _dare _you take advantage of her like that!"

"On the contrary, I found her to be quite willing," smirked Elliot. "After all, isn't that what I was paying her for?"

Selina's rage was beginning to get the better of her, and Elliot took advantage of this. He grabbed another gun from under one of the couches and fired it above her head. She froze as the resounding shot blew out half of the wall. Plaster and dust rained down onto both of them.

"_Selina, answer me!_" Bruce was yelling frantically, his voice an inconsequential buzz in her ear. "_What's happening?_"

She jumped up onto Elliot's couch, ducking as he fired another shot. This one hit the television, and there was a loud splintering noise as the screen shattered. Before he could take aim again, Selina leapt up onto the ceiling beams, scurrying across them in an attempt to jump directly on top of him. But Elliot knew what she was doing, and she was forced to leap to the next beam as the closest bullet yet sliced through the wood just inches from her, sending it crashing to the floor.

"I really have no qualms about destroying this house, so feel free to run as much as you want," he told her lazily. Gritting her teeth in concentration, Selina tried to jump again, but Elliot had cornered her: he fired the gun at the end of the beam, and the entire thing collapsed, Selina on top of it. She landed in the rubble that now coated the floor, unable to do anything except stare in hatred up at Elliot. "Kill me, you bastard," she hissed. "Kill me like the goddamned _bastard _you are."

Elliot merely laughed at her words. "I'm not going to kill you…_yet_." He raised the gun and brought the barrel crashing down on her head. Selina let out an involuntary cry of pain just before she blacked out.

* * *

><p>Bruce knew that something was wrong after she'd stopped replying, but when he heard a gunshot in the distance his senses were immediately on alert. He could hear shouting in the background, and no matter how frantically he tried to get through to her his attempts were never answered. He was leaning as close as he possibly could to the computer screen, all thoughts of Rachel and Alfred completely forgotten. When Selina's connection abruptly crackled before cutting out completely, he leapt from his chair and strode over to the glass container that held the batsuit.<p>

He didn't care if his leg wasn't entirely healed—Batman was coming back.

* * *

><p><span><strong>UPDATE MARCH 2014:<strong> **Sadly, I must announce that this story is officially abandoned. I hesitated saying this for months because I wanted to wait and see if the creative spark would come back, but it's been over a year since my last update and I don't think it ever will. However, please keep an eye out for more Batman/Catwoman stories from me in the future, though, as they are one of my OTPs and I doubt I'll be able to stay away from them for long!**


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